Near Misses and Happenstance
by LogansAce
Summary: The Near Misses and 'Happentances' that happened to Logan and Rory and their relationship right after season seven and beyond. This is Rory/Logan; but as you can read, neither of them lead uncomplicated lives. Please enjoy. Very M rated for later chapters
1. Chapter 1 The Campaign Trail

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(The Campaign Trail)**

Rory and Lorelai left Luke's that morning just after their way-too-early-morning-last-day-in-Stars-Hollow breakfast. After meeting up with the press corps covering the Obama campaign in New York, a teary-eyed Lorelai made the long drive home without her daughter. Lorelai didn't look forward to getting used to a life separate from her daughter. Adjustments were hard- and this time Rory wasn't just thirty minutes away at Yale. But as much as her life would change, she had to acknowledge that Rory's new direction would be much more challenging. Her daughter put on a face and took the initiative in finding her job, but it was obvious to Lorelai, her daughter was broken, deep inside.

Rory adapted quickly in the months following graduation. She learned to live out of her suitcase, sleep easily in a different hotel bed every night- when they got to sleep, and how to keep up with the grueling pace of the campaign- all while writing sufficient news stories that accurately described the goings on in the Obama camp. While she did her job well and seemed to fit in with her fellow reporters just fine, she realized quickly that such an assignment was not the dream job she'd always imagined. It just wasn't how she wanted to spend the rest of her life—and maybe not even how she wanted to spend her time until the 2008 election.

She reflected back on her days at the Chilton and Yale newspapers with fond memories and wondered why she didn't have the same affection for her campaign job. It should have been all she ever wanted, all she ever worked toward. To reject her dream just when she'd achieved it seemed crazy! But it was the actual _living_ that life that changed her mind. Once she had the chance to try both paths, the simple fact was that she liked working at a newspaper better. It was that at the papers she had her own desk and she went into the office and home at the end of the day. Her life was separate from her work; but on the campaign trail they meshed together without the possibility of escape from either. The only saving grace to her situation was that _because_ her life was also her work she had little time to think about either starting to have a real life again-or the life she left behind.

For the moment, her friends were also her colleagues. And since Logan walked away from her on her graduation day, there had been no desire to look at any other man. Rory realized that it was really quite simple. The fact of the matter was that she had not moved on. _But that's okay. _She thought to herself. _It's only been a couple of months since the break up. These things take time, right?_

When she had those rare moments to herself, usually in a hotel room at night, she reflected. She evaluated herself and her feelings. Besides the overwhelming feeling of missing her mom, she missed Logan, and all that he meant to her, and all that he brought into her life. Every day the words she spoke to Lorelai in her apartment right after her graduation seemed to hit closer and closer to home for Rory Gilmore._"Well, I'm not okay. I feel awful. I feel sick. I miss him already"_ ... and each time her heart wrenched at the thought.

And he didn't only cross her mind at nights, when she was alone, when she had the time and the energy to let the feelings come. The _lack _of him showed up everywhere for her. So she tried to work against it. Recognizing it for what it was, she took that thought to heart and tried to section off those feelings and push them away- if only to shield herself from the pain- but it was all she had. Rory was smart enough to know that she was only able to keep her vulnerabilities hidden from her colleges because they didn't know her before the end of her relationship with Logan. This Rory was the only one they knew.

But the pain showed most inescapably in her writing- her basest form of expression- and those who _had_ seen her work from college could see that her writing on the campaign was different. It was quality, as always, but it lacked the extra spark that had been so prevalent in her writing at the newspapers. Rory knew this and was thankful that she had enough skill that even when she wasn't at her best she was still a decent writer. It had been so easy to write interesting and informative articles before, but since graduation she lacked motivation. She was preoccupied. She viewed life differently; she felt like she was constantly in a daze, and that she only ought to do enough to make sure she was going through the motions of life, just enough to get by.

The conversations she had with her mom and, on the rare occasion when they could get a hold of her, her other friends and grandparents always went along the same lines. They told her to try to see the choices she had as opportunities to do exactly what she wanted in life. She didn't have to think of anyone else when choosing a career or in making other life choices. She could do whatever job she wanted, she could live wherever she wanted, she didn't have to check with anyone before she did something on the weekends or a night off; she was free.

At night Rory would lay in her bed and try to _feel_ free, she looked for the positive but it just wasn't there for Rory. She felt trapped in something and suffocated. She felt alone and scared, like her safety and security were gone. Her wit was off, her laugh was rarely genuine anymore, her eyes even shone less; it was obvious. Even three full months and a lifetime of experiences after her graduation from Yale, Rory was still very much in love with Logan Huntzberger. He was her perfect match and she missed him. Life without him was incomplete.

It was late; Rory was in her hotel room getting ready to begin yet another new book when her phone rang. She didn't have to look at the display to know it was Lorelai. "Hey Mom." She barely got it out.

"Hello child o' mine, how's the tour of America!?" Lorelai tried to keep their conversation upbeat and peppy. She hated to think of her daughter so torn up inside.

"It's fine. How's the Inn, Luke, Stars Hollow?" Rory's voice was hollow.

Lorelai closed her eyes and shook her head at the sound of her daughter's voice. "They are all good. You are missed, but things are good. Luke says hi."

"Oh, tell him hi back for me."

"Will do. Hey Hon, you don't sound too well."

"Gee, thanks, mom."

"No, I mean it. You aren't yourself. We talked about this. It's not good for you to be alone until you feel better about this. Are you hanging out with your work friends? Have you talked to Lane or Paris recently- or even your grandparents?"

"Umm, Grandpa called me the other day, but other than that, no."

"Oh, Rory honey, you need to keep in touch with your friends. I know that this Logan thing has still got you down; no one expects you to be over him already… but you have to keep busy. Give yourself things to look forward to, and keep in touch with your friends so you can eventually work through it."

"I know mom. I just don't feel motivated to do it yet. It's so hard to let go. I'm sure I'll get there at some point, I mean, I know I can't hold on forever."

"Okay, Baby Girl. I'm thinking about you. When do you think you will get a break so you can come home to your Mommy?"

"Probably not 'til Thanksgiving. We go pretty much non-stop until then. Next we hit up Houston, St. Louis, Red Oak in Iowa, Denver, Boise, Seattle, Medford in Oregon, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, and then Pomona, California, and who knows after that. We're pretty much booked solid for the next few weeks."

Rory was silent for a long moment, then, "Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think if things had been different, if I had said yes or if he had waited and had asked me after I had established a career that we would have made it?"

Lorelai dreaded having to answer that question. She didn't know the answer. She took a deep breath before she began. "Oh, Rory, I don't know. I do know that while I wasn't always _totally_ supportive of your relationship with Logan, I gave my consent to his proposing to you because I knew that he loved you very much. He loved you more than he loved anyone or anything, and he would have seen to it that you were happy and well taken care to the _very_ best of his ability… Now, having said that, I also think things happen for a reason." Lorelai went on, "You know, like with me and your dad when we found out I was pregnant with you. We did love each other and if we would have gotten married Chris would have stepped up and we would have done just fine and probably have been happy; but we didn't get married at seventeen, and I feel, to this day, that we did things the way we did for a reason. I think that while you and Logan could have been good together, things turned out the way they did for a reason for you guys too."

It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but maybe it was what she needed to hear though it still made a sick feeling rise inside of her. Rory clutched her stomach and tried to curl herself into a ball, a little ball so she wouldn't have to face the outside world. "Mom, I just miss him though. It hurts too much."

"I know honey. I wish I could say the right thing; I wish I could make it all better."

"Do you think it will _ever_ get better?"

"Yes, it will. It just takes time, a lot of time."

Rory started to breathe unevenly. Lorelai knew her daughter was holding back tears. "Aww, Hon, let it out. It's okay."

Rory wept. Lorelai could barely understand her daughter's words and it broke her heart to hear her cry and not be able to wipe her tears away. For a split second she wondered if she was wrong, that she shouldn't have so readily agreed with Rory's decision to turn Logan down. Lorelai's head spun as thoughts flew back and forth… _Maybe I should have told Rory to think about it some more, maybe the kind of feelings Rory had for Logan and that Logan had for Rory were the kind of thing that people should hold on to, maybe this sort of love could be worth sacrificing their dreams and aspirations in order to keep- if that would have even been a factor for Rory. Who am I kidding? She would have found an amazing job no matter where she went. Who am I to say anything about this? I didn't really have that much first-hand knowledge of the relationship. Rory's a big girl. She knew her feelings, and she had a solid connection with him. Maybe I was wrong to allow my daughter to push someone who was obviously so important to her away so quickly. Maybe I should have encouraged Rory to give it a chance..._

Her thoughts were interrupted when Rory spoke through her tears again, "Mom…it just...hurts…so… much! We should...be together…I…need him…it's not okay without him." And then Rory lost it again. For a few minutes Lorelai just waited and listened to her daughter's sharp breaths and heartbroken cries. She waited for something great to say to her daughter, but she, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, was at a loss for words. She wasn't even sure what _she_ felt about it anymore. She used to be so sure that Rory had made the right decision. When Rory had calmed down a bit she spoke. "Mom, I think I'm just going to go. I will shower and that usually helps when I'm having one of my hard days. I think I am about ready for bed too. Thanks for listening. I _will_ get through this, don't worry." She sniffled again.

Lorelai knew she would still worry, no matter what Rory said. "Uhhh…Okay, Ror, but remember that you don't _have_ to be over this soon. He was a huge part of your life for a long time. It's really okay to miss him. When you _do_ think of him do something. Call me, go out shopping, find a friend to spend some time with, get lost in a book, but at the same time, don't forget to do a good amount of wallowing. Get yourself some ice cream and watch _An Affair to Remember_ or something. I love you, kid. Don't forget it. I'm here if you need anything. I will drop everything and fly to you if you ever need that, okay?" Lorelai sighed, "Rory, just do what you feel is right- in your heart."

"Okay... Thanks, mom. Love you."

"Bye, Ror."

"Bye."

They hung up. Rory turned on the hot shower and climbed in. The water ran through her hair and down her back. The steam cleared up her head from crying and washed the tears, her sadness away. It was gone for the time being and she would face the day again tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2 Passing Planes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(Passing Planes)**

Logan had begun his job at the up-and-coming internet start-up in California. It was work, it sufficed; however, his life hadn't turned out at all the way he anticipated. He wanted to be engaged, he wanted to be with her, planning the beginning of the rest of their lives, he wanted her to say 'yes' and move with him to California- or at least for her to say 'yes' and for them to go somewhere, anywhere together.

But that's not how life goes. The reality is that sometimes the answer is 'no'. And Logan got a taste of that firsthand.

It was hard. He tried to deal with everything it stirred in him and the only solace he found was in his work. So, he did the only thing he could think to do; he grew obsessed with work. He was the first one there and the last one out at night- if he left the office at all. All the hard work paid off though; he excelled. Logan made a name for himself and even received a comment or two from his father- and that was as close as Mitchum Huntzberger ever came to saying he was proud of his son.

All of the success at work didn't matter though. When Logan left the office, he still returned to an empty home. It was a miserable existence without Rory. He realized quickly that he wouldn't live a full life without her… and after a while he came to accept that.

It hadn't taken him long to realize how poorly he handled the _whole_ situation with Rory. The worst part of it was that he had such a _clear_ memory of what he told her during their visit to Stars Hollow. On that trip, only a few weeks before he proposed, Logan explicitly told Rory that he was going to factor her into his life and she shouldn't worry about factoring him into her life. Yet his proposal and the aftermath of that whole fiasco only reflected the opposite.

The revelation tormented him during the days and at night it taunted him in his dreams. He saw himself in his head, _what an ass I must seem to her. _It ate him up inside. Each day he became angrier with himself, and more irritable, and more restless until he lost it.

He couldn't continue on. He tried to deal for months, and he just couldn't take it _anymore_. He had to know if there was a chance to do it all over again- the right way. He just knew it couldn't be over for them. They were too good together to let his idiocy ruin it. He was _sure_ they could figure it out, recover, and nurture their relationship back to health. He just had to _do it._

Logan had learned, from hearing his mother who heard from Emily Gilmore, that Rory was a political reporter for the Obama Campaign. Shira called it "quaint", but Logan was _so_ proud of his Ace. He couldn't stop smiling knowing that she was out doing something she loved, even if it was not with him…yet.

And since he'd found out about her, he couldn't stay away- he followed her writing online. He was a little ashamed of his behavior, but he _had_ to keep that connection. Her articles were good, like always, but something was different. They were missing something, they weren't her usual work and he wondered what was responsible for the change. Logan, selfishly, hoped he was the reason for her lack-luster articles. It gave him a ray of hope that maybe she wasn't at her best without him, as he fully realized how lost he was without Rory.

One night, a rare night that he actually spent at his house, Logan sat on his back porch. He just stared at that stupid, wonderful avocado tree and thought of Rory; and that's when the idea came to him, like it had been commissioned just for him.

He would go to her. He had to see her; he had to try to fight for her. Logan ran inside to his home office and looked up the Obama campaign. It was easy enough to find out where the campaign was headed next and therefore where _Rory_ was headed next. His eyes scanned the list of upcoming dates when he hit the most perfect stroke of luck! If the website was accurate, Rory would be heading to Sacramento that weekend! He was elated! It was too good to be true. He double checked the website again to make sure he was seeing right. He was! Logan laced his fingers behind his head, leaned back in his chair and laughed to himself. He couldn't believe it! He just couldn't wait!

After just a second basking in his discovery, he scrambled out of his office and raced into his bedroom to pack. He could just imagine what Rory would have said to him had she seen him throwing clothes, shoes, his extra toothbrush, and everything else into his brown leather suitcase… The thought was enough to make him pause and repack the right way. He laughed to himself about that too.

Just as he closed his suitcase and zipped it up, he realized she wouldn't be in Sacramento for a couple more days. He sighed at himself and his almost childish impatience, but his excitement overpowered his silliness. He went to sleep that night with a smile on his face and for the first time since he moved to California, he slept the full night in his bed and woke up the next morning feeling so great.

Logan waltzed into his office the next morning with a lighter, more carefree attitude. His staff got a completely new look at the Logan Huntzberger they thought they knew. It was easy to be light-hearted when he knew he would see her so soon. His colleagues could only shake their heads in disbelief. They honestly hadn't known he could be so…happy.

LLG+LEH

It had been a few days since Rory's last conversation with her mother, but she couldn't get it out of her head. Lorelai, in a stroke of great wisdom, told her daughter, _"Rory, just do what you feel is right- in your heart." _

_What's right in my heart? What's right? It can't be right to feel like this. _

The campaign was still somewhere between Seattle and Medford, but she was done. Rory was just finished with the whole thing. She was over the constant traveling, never sleeping, missing home, sick of feeling miserable, and above all, done missing Logan.

It took Rory only seconds to decide what she knew was already right- that she would leave and do whatever it took to find Logan. She felt a _compulsion_ to find Logan, to tell him that she's not finished loving him, and to find out, to ask if there's still a way to have what could have been for them, what she thought _should_ have been for them. It was a long shot; Rory acknowledged that. She hurt him badly; but she had to at least _see_.

Rory tendered her resignation and departed the press corps quickly before she found herself at a hotel near the airport. It was good. She would have some time to plan for the next day.

Rory knew how fond Logan was of big surprises- easily evident by the way he'd surprised her many times during their time together. She thought it was time for her to return the gesture. Rory would surprise _him_ by stepping into _his_ new world to ask to be a part of it. As excited as Rory was about her plans, she just couldn't hold it inside. She dialed her mother's familiar phone number.

"Hey Kiddo!" Her mom greeted her.

"Mom! Hey!"

Lorelai was surprised, and relieved to hear a smile in Rory's voice. "Hey! You sound good. What's goin' on?" Rory paced around her room trying to control the jitters wracking her body. "Well, Mom, I have made a couple of key decisions about my life and my future and I want you to try to be _calm_ and _supportive_ of these decisions, okay?"

Lorelai sat down at her kitchen table. "Alright, Ror, hit me with it."

"Well, you know how…it's been sort of difficult for me? …Okay, let's be honest, I have been a wreck since I left Stars Hollow, right?"

"Yeah… Oh! Are you moving back home to be with me? I totally support that!"

Rory could hear the utter joy in her mother's voice, and hated to dash those hopes, but her news was too big to sugarcoat. "Well, no, that's not exactly the plan. I actually… okay, Mom, listen to me. I don't want to be a political reporter anymore and I do want to be with Logan- wherever that takes me and whatever it means for my future." She paused a moment to allow that to sink in before laying on the rest of the news. "I quit my job with the Obama campaign and I am leaving for Palo Alto in the morning to find Logan." Rory rushed through her words so Lorelai couldn't interrupt and comment before she said everything. She took a deep breath to ready herself for what she was sure would be a heated discussion.

"Wow... But Honey that sounds exciting! Really great. I mean, but you're…you're positive about this, I mean you're sure this is right and everything?"

Rory pulled the phone from her ear and looked at it disbelievingly. That was _not _the reaction she expected, although of course she liked having her mother's support. "Yes, I really am sure. I know this is going to make me happy…as long as he takes me back."

"Okay, Babe. If you're really sure about this, I'm going to be happy if you're happy."

"Wow, okay… Thanks, Mom."

She could hear the smile in her daughter's voice for the first time in a long time; and that was good and right in Lorelai's heart. "Just promise you'll keep me updated and be safe."

"I will. I promise. Thank you for going along with this. I know you don't always like me to make impulsive decisions, but this is right. I just do, I need to be with Logan."

"I know, hon. You guys were good together, I can see that now. You were the most at peace I've ever seen you when you were with him- and so happy! And don't forget - I want all the juicy details!"

"I won't forget. I should go though; I have to finish making plans for tomorrow."

"Fine! I'll talk to you later. Love you!"

"Love you too, Mom."

For the first time in a long time, Rory went to sleep smiling.

LLG + LEH

Logan woke in his Sacramento hotel early that Friday morning. He walked down the street to the coffee shop and tried to read the paper, but he was just too excited to focus. The moment he thought the press would start the preliminary reporting he was on his way to find the Obama Campaign. Once he arrived at the arena, had no trouble tracking down the press corps and couldn't wait to see Rory's face again. The moment of truth had arrived, well, as soon as he found her. He hoped to God that this time her answer would be anything but no. He navigated through the vast crowds looking every which way and expecting any moment to see her. The only problem was that he… couldn't… find… her. After frantically searching every place he could find, he finally asked some of the reporters nearby about Rory. He learned that she quit her job a few days before and no one knew any more than that.

Logan panicked. His lungs wouldn't draw breath and his eyes lost their ability to focus. The same questions ran through his head over and over as he walked the grounds, still looking for her, all while hoping that his informants were wrong. _She's gone? How could she be gone? I came to tell her that I want to be with her, on her terms. I want to do it her way. How can she be gone?_

The only person he knew that would know where she was, without a doubt, was Lorelai. He was certain of it; what he was not to certain about was whether she would help him or not after he hurt Rory so badly. The only way to even hope to get information from Lorelai was to physically go to her; a phone call would not be enough. He had to _go_ to Lorelai so he could prove that she could trust him again. He got into his car and called the airport to book the next flight to Connecticut.

He pulled up to the Crap Shack late that afternoon and hesitated for a moment before knocking on her door. He waited a moment before Lorelai answered the door. "Logan! What are you doing here?"

LLG + LEH

After her short flight to San Francisco that Friday morning, Rory rented a car at the airport and drove toward Palo Alto. All during drive she found herself talking through what she would say when she saw Logan. In the end, she decided to go with the Love Rocket approach: she would tell him that it doesn't matter what she may have to give up because she'll do whatever she can for their relationship- what they have is true love. She was sure he would appreciate the reference. It was what he wanted before when she had been unwilling to yield her plans to his. But it was different this time.

After what seemed like forever and, at the same time, just a split second, she looked up at the massive building in front of her. The moment she'd pulled the car into an open spot, she started to doubt herself. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure it was a good idea anymore. _Maybe I should call him instead. Barging into his office in the middle of the day could get intense- to say the least…and what if he says we can't make this work? _ She nearly ran back to the car to get out of there as fast as she could, but something stopped her. _I've come all this way. I've given up my job, I'm nowhere near any of my friends or family, this is it. This is what I came here to do. Just go talk to him! _ With that bit of a pep talk, she straightened her outfit and took her first step forward. She was going in.

The reception desk was stationed directly in front of the big glass doors, there was a pretty young lady sitting there with a smile on her face. Rory hoped she would direct her to Logan's office. "Hello, I'm here to see Logan Huntzberger."

The woman didn't bother to look down at a calendar or even pretend to check to see if he was in. "I'm sorry he is unavailable right now. Would you like to make an appointment?"

Rory shifted from her right to her left food and back to the right again. She tried to smile at the receptionist, but her resolve had begun to waver. _This is not part of the plan!_ "Umm, no, I _really_ need to talk to him today. If he's in a meeting or something I can wait."

The lady shook her head. "All I can tell you is that Mr. Huntzberger isn't available today."

"Alright then, what is the earliest I can see him?" Rory sighed. It appeared that she had no choice but to play their game.

The receptionist finally checked the computer. "Let me see. It looks like his next available appointment is next Monday at ten."

"Okay, put me down, my name is Rory Gilmore."

"Alright Ms. Gilmore we will see you Monday at ten." The receptionist typed in her name and went back to work.

As soon as the receptionist turned her head Rory took a stack of papers out of her bag. In reality they were a bunch of her Obama articles littered with red marks from her editor, but that day they were her ticket to tour the building in search of information on Logan. Once the coast was clear, she made her way down the hall toward what she hoped were the staff offices. Rory took on the role of the new-girl who needed Mr. Huntzberger's signature on _important documents. _That cover gave her free reign to ask some key questions- but of course, not so many that anyone would get suspicious, just enough to find out where he might be. Most of the women she asked weren't particularly forthcoming with information about her ex-boyfriend, but gave enough to steer her toward his office and hopefully to a few people who knew him better.

As she neared his office she heard some male colleagues of Logan's chatting about how good it was that Huntzberger was out of the office for a few days.

_So, he really is out of the office. _Rory reluctantly gave a little credit back to the receptionist.

"…Yeah, I know he's been practically living here since he started." The first man seemed genuinely happy that Logan had some time away.

"It's good that he takes a few days to relax and hopefully to sleep, he needs it." The other chimed in.

"Especially if he took some vacation days to see about a girl. He seemed different- like she's something special . Did you see how happy he was right before he left? He was giddy! When have you ever seen a guy like Huntzberger giddy because of a chick?"

_What? He's seeing someone? He's on vacation… with a woman? He's already seeing someone else and here I've been missing him?_ She had to get away from his world. Fast. It was too much for her to handle. She hurried out to her car and sped to the airport. She booked her flight back to Hartford on the way. Here Rory had given up her job to come find him, to be with him and he was already taken. It was her own fault, but it still hurt- bad.

LLG+LEH

"Hi Lorelai." He didn't quite know how to proceed. "Umm, do you have a minute?"

Lorelai looked at Logan. It was easy to see he was in bad shape. His hair was disheveled in a way that was different than his usual style, his clothes didn't seem to hang off him right; and his eyes, there was something about his eyes. They were bloodshot, he had bags under them, but he also looked lost, hollow- like he was in a daze. "Uhh, yeah, I guess so." She answered completely thrown for a loop. "Do you want to come in?"

"Yes, thank you." Logan answered with a sort of distant determination in his voice. She opened the screen door for him and he stepped into the house before he followed her into the living room. Immediately his heart was wrenched. He could almost smell Rory there. He could nearly see her moving about the house and living her day-to-day life in those rooms. He could see her decorating tastes throughout the house and he was keenly aware that it was his Rory's home. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, wanting to stay there, in her presence, as long as he could. He didn't have many memories in that house, but the precious ones he had were enough to break his heart. He felt so close to her even though she wasn't actually at home. After a moment Logan came back to reality and remembered the shocked Lorelai Gilmore standing before him.

"So…Logan, long time, no see. How are you?" She stood there before him with her arms akimbo, challenging him, wondering why he had come.

"Lorelai." He sighed and wiped his hand over his face. "I need to talk to you about Rory." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm not okay without her. I miss her…so much. She was the best thing that ever walked into my life and I, I feel _so_ empty, _so broken_ without her." He knew he was getting worked up way too easily. He needed to calm down so she would take him seriously.

Suddenly Lorelai didn't care what Rory had told her just the day before. Her protective 'mama bear' instincts kicked in when she looked into the eyes of the man who had so thoroughly broken her baby girl. "Logan," she paused, obviously upset. "What do you want me to say? You left her alone! She still wanted to have a relationship with you and you told her that it wasn't good enough! You had _no_ regard for her feelings about anything, _her future, her choices! Nothing!_ I know she's great, you don't have to sell me on that one, but _you gave her up!_"

He hung his head, it was what he expected. Lorelai would protect her daughter-and that was as it should be. He messed up. He lifted his head to meet the deep blue eyes staring back at him. "I _know_ I screwed up in a _huge_ way, Lorelai, I let her go; I walked away. I don't know _why_ I didn't think about her but I want to think about her now, she's really all I _can_ think about. I want what's important to her to be important to me too. Can't you see that? I am prepared to follow her and make a life wherever _she_ is. I want to make her first in my life, but I can't do that without her in my life _at all_. These past three months have been hell for me in every way. I need her." He could see that she wasn't dismissing his words- that she was, at least… listening. It was a start.

He went on. "Lorelai, like I said when I came here to ask your permission for her hand in the spring, I love your daughter. I want to be around her all the time. Her charm, wit, laughter, smell, the way she moves through a room, the way she knows the real me and loved me in spite of it all; she's amazing!" He took another deep breath, hoping that the Rory that he sensed when he stood in that house would give him what he needed to make Lorelai see how serious he was. His hand came to rest over his heart. "And I'm here asking you to let me be near her, to let me spend my life trying to make her the happiest, most fulfilled woman there has ever been! Without Rory my life is nothing special. She showed me how to live a _real_ life where I work more than I play, to enjoy the seemingly mundane things in life, and to cherish the time I have with those I love." His gestures emphasized his words in a way that could only be called passionate- there was no mistaking his sincerity. It did not escape Lorelai's notice. The truth and passion he showed while he emphatically told her of his feelings for Rory got to her. Her protective guard fell, and all she knew was that the man standing before her could and _would _fix her daughter. Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes as Logan went on. "I don't want to find her to see if we can make something work between us. I want to find her to make what I _already know_ we have work to last_ forever. Please_, Lorelai," He pled, "tell me how to find her. I have to ask her if I can be in her life."

Lorelai stood there with tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew there was no denying that he felt everything he had just said deep down in the core of his being. The rest was up to Rory. With a genuine smile and feeling in her voice Lorelai swallowed the lump in her throat and told the young man, "She's in California. She's in Palo Alto looking for you. She wants to be with you too, Logan. Go find her!" She ended with almost a whisper, for that's all she could manage. Lorelai wiped the tears away from her eyes.

His eyes lit up at Lorelai's words and he was stunned, happily stunned. He enveloped Lorelai. "Thank you" he whispered into her ear. She could swear he was close to tears too. He pulled away with a huge grin on his face, "Thank you, Lorelai! Thank you so much! I want to make her so happy!" He declared as he ran out the front door.

Not more than a few moments after Logan ran out of her house in search of Rory Lorelai's phone rang. It brought her out of her daze and she looked at the display. It was Rory! "Rory!" She exclaimed as she happily greeted her daughter.

"Mom, they are telling me to turn my phone off, so this has to be quick. I had to switch planes in Chicago, but I'm already on a plane now, actually about to take off. I'm coming home to wallow and figure out a new plan for my life. He's already with someone and I need to move on."

"But Ror-" Lorelai tried to talk, but Rory cut her off.

"It's okay, Mom. I'll get over him somehow, I was stupid to think that he would want me back just because I want him back. Anyway, I really have to go. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be in Hartford in two hours."

"No Rory, listen to me-"

"I can't, mom. I have to go. See you soon." Rory hung up and relaxed as best as she could on the plane. She closed her eyes and rested her head against her seat, trying to breathe deeply while holding back tears. In a few hours she would see her mom, be in her own home and desperately try to move on...again.

Her flight took off toward home and toward a life without Logan Huntzberger. When her plane reached cruising altitude two planes passed each other with relatively little space between them. Little did any of the passengers know that as their planes were high above the earth one plane was going toward the love of one man's life while that same love was passing him to go the opposite direction in sheer confusion, frustration, and sadness for the man she believed was out of her reach forever.


	3. Chapter 3 Change of Plans

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(Change of Plans)**

Once Logan's plane landed in California he raced home to find Rory only to find his home deserted. He drove to his office and again, she was not there. He frantically called hotels in the area, but he still couldn't find Rory. He wondered, _Was it a set up? Did Lorelai just want me out of the way? Is Rory gone for good?_

As much as he dreaded hearing her answer he took his phone out to call Lorelai. He scrolled down through the contacts in his phone to his only link to the Gilmore Girls- Lorelai's home phone number- when his phone blinked and started to vibrate.

He answered without looking at his caller ID. "Huntzberger."

"Oh, my God, Brother!" It was his sister, Honor. She was upset. "You have to come home right now! It's Dad! He's in the hospital. It's not good! We need you here. COME HOME NOW!" She yelled into the phone and hung up. Only out of concern for his beloved sister did he push his previous mission to the back of his head. Logan immediately drove home, grabbed his bags that were still packed and unopened, and with a heavy heart- for so many reasons- booked a evening flight straight back to Hartford.

Logan tried to sleep on the plane, but the millions of thoughts swirling around his head consumed him and barred him from any real relaxation. This new development in his family would almost inevitably change his future in a most drastic fashion. Aside from possibly losing the man who had only very recently begun to behave _kind _of like a father, he would also be strongly 'encouraged' to come back to the Huntzberger Publishing Group to take over for his father at least while he recovered, _if _he recovered. Logan took a deep breath as the thoughts began to dissipate. He remembered that he left that life- mostly because of past mistakes- but he wasn't really sure media and publishing were for him anyway. It brought him back to a time when Mitchum control over his life and pushed him as his father saw fit all while he was pulling a different way, for the sake of Rory. RORY!

Logan started looking around the first class section, not sure what he was actually looking for. _Rory_, _I need to find Rory. _For the rest of his flight, Logan's mind was consumed with similar thoughts, the bottom line always the same: he needed Rory in his life.

It was just past midnight when Logan touched down in Hartford for the second time since he woke up the previous morning. As expected, he was met at the gate by his old driver, Frank, who drove him straight to the hospital to see his father. The car ride wasn't long, but it was silent, and tense. Logan wished he were anywhere but there.

As soon as the elevator doors opened into the waiting room, he could see them all. The room was just _full_ of the entire Huntzberger family and many others he recognized from work and other society events- everyone looking at him, waiting for him, _expecting of him. _ All thoughts of Rory were necessarily and momentarily pushed aside but it was right then that he knew. He knew they were looking at him for direction. He already _was_ the new HPG CEO. He could tell that much by the way their eyes begged him to reassure them, to take the lead, command the room. They all expected Logan to take over Huntzberger Publishing _immediately_.

Before the thoughts even cleared in his mind and before he could even make it the few steps to Honor, a nurse came to Logan's side. "Mr. Huntzberger?"

Not used to being addressed in such a fashion, it took Logan a second to register that she was talking to him. "Oh… yes?" He turned his attention from his audience to the woman standing before him.

"Your father is asking to see you, Sir."

_'Sir?' She called me 'sir'!_ He gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Thank you, and please just call me Logan. 'Mr. Huntzberger' and 'Sir' are my father."

"Of course, Sir, Mr. Huntzberger, Logan, Sir. Right this way." Logan chuckled at how fast her face turned such a bright crimson and followed her to the nearby hospital room where Mitchum lay.

The nurse seemed unaware of the power and influence in the Huntzberger name, or if she was she didn't allow it to influence her manner, and opened the door to Mitchum's room like he was any other patient. For Logan, however, it was a whole new experience. His father looked so… vulnerable. Small. Almost soft...

Logan entered the room cautiously and shoved his hands into the pockets his slacks to give himself a millisecond before he had to walk to the side of his father's hospital bed. Logan spoke in quiet tones. "Hey Dad, how're ya feelin'?" Logan took a few steps toward the hospital bed.

Mitchum opened his eyes, but didn't lift his head. "Logan." He paused to swallow and breathe before he went on. "It's time to be serious. I am not well, I don't know what's going to happen, but I know I cannot carry on with… Huntzberger Publishing." The feebleness in Mitchum's voice, again, shocked Logan- it just didn't compute. _Leave it to Dad to talk business while lying in a hospital bed._

Logan pulled his hands from his pockets to clutch the railing on the side of the bed. He felt like he should be closer to his father, but couldn't bring himself to clasp the frail hand mere inches from that railing, not that Mitchum would have allowed it anyway. "Dad, we don't have to talk about this right now. Let's focus on getting you better and home before we start talking business."

"No!" He swallowed hard again. "Son, the time is now." Mitchum still didn't lift his head, but he did will his eyes to meet the earnest eyes of his son. "No, Logan. I don't have much time left, and I won't be going home soon. There are still more tests to run, but besides that… I have known for a while now that I'm not well. Logan, you only left HPG earlier this year, but now it needs you back. I've been systematically grooming you to take over my job since you were a boy. We both know that and though we thought this would come later, the reality is: the time is now. You probably have not been thinking about this, but there are _no_ other viable options. You are ready. I _know_ you can run our family's company well. You _can_ do this. Now, Son, will you?"

Logan allowed his head to fall forward and hang there for a moment; he closed his eyes to roll them out of his father's sight. After a dramatic breath out he lifted his head to meet his father's stare. "I don't know, Dad. Can I have a few days to think about it? I mean, if I do take your job it would mean completely uprooting the life I have going now- a life I really like. It would mean abandoning my business partners and leaving them in a bind." He paced around the room for a moment and then turned back to his father. "Who would take over HPG if I declined?"

"Your cousin, Steven."

Logan was immediately furious. "Steven?" he asked incredulously "Are you serious? He wouldn't know the first thing to do with Huntzberger Publishing Group! He would screw it up so fast, Dad, it would all be gone before his first year was up! Dad! How could you name him the heir should I not agree to this?"

Mitchum smiled a weak smile at his son. "So, you seem to care about the business at least a little, Logan. Alright. You have forty eight hours to make your decision. You will inform Elias or your mother of your decision, both of whom have power of attorney while I am…like this." Mitchum lifted his hands a few inches off the bed and then dropped them again. "Logan, I hope you know that I have been watching you over the last few years. You, Logan, are my absolute first choice to take my job. I have every faith in you. You will screw up at times, just like I did and your grandfather did and your great grandfather did; but you will work hard, and I am _proud_ of you, Son." Mitchum then _did_ reach for Logan's hand; he placed his old hand over his son's young hand. "Logan, I do love you. Whatever our past and whether you take the position or not, I am proud of you for making a life for yourself, and if you do become the next HPG CEO I will be just as proud of you; and I love you. Whatever happens to me, know that."

Logan just stared at his father, shocked. He had expected his father to ask him to take over HPG, but to go on and on about how proud he was? That was new. Logan wasn't sure what to do with that yet; but his mind was already made up about the job. He would take it, not because of his father's entirely unexpected and emotional plea, but because he was Logan Elias Huntzberger. Not only that, _he_ and he _alone_ was the Huntzberger heir. It was his duty to carry on the family name and the family business with pride and dignity. There was no way that weasel of a cousin of his would get that honor.

"Dad, I'll do it." He nodded his head just slightly. "I'm coming back to HPG."

"I'm glad to hear that, Logan. I have no doubt this is the right thing." He squeezed his son's hand with all the strength he could muster. "Send your sister in. I haven't seen her all day. Go tell your mother and grandfather your news. Goodbye, Logan."

He looked at his father again. "See you later, Dad."

Logan hugged his sister first and sent her in to see their father and then made his way to the crowd of people still gathered in the waiting room. He walked over to his mother and hugged her and as he held his mother tight, he whispered into her ear, "I'm taking job, Mom. I'm taking over for Dad. I'm coming home." Shira pulled away from her son and held on tightly to his shoulders to look at him through the tears in her eyes. Mitchum was fading away from her but her son was returning.

Logan broke loose from his mothers grasp and walked over to his grandfather. Shaking his hand he said, "Alright, I'm in. There will be some new rules, but I'm in."

Before Logan even finished his sentence, Elias had his finger pointed at his grandson. "Logan, don't try to pull anything. I'll set up the meetings and inform you of them. I'm still the head of this family and-" Logan couldn't listen to any more of it.

"Grandfather, you know that I respect you as the patriarch of this family. I can assure you that I will do whatever is in the best interest of my company, but I _will_ be calling the shots from now on." It left his grandfather speechless. "I'm going to the house to shower and change. I'll be back. Later this morning we can begin the paperwork that will officially make me the CEO of Huntzberger Publishing Group. I'll see you in an hour." With that he turned and walked away.

LLG+LEH

Lorelai was waiting for Rory at the airport. Nothing could have filled Rory with more warmth than seeing her mom there to greet her with open arms. They hugged for a long time and Rory buried her face in her mom's shoulder. "It's been too long, kid. How are you holding up?" Lorelai stroked Rory's hair.

Rory looked up at her mom. "Well, not too well, as you can probably imagine. I'm ready for a shower and a good night's sleep though." The women started walking to the conveyor belt to retrieve Rory's bags. Rory took her mom's hand. "Thanks for being here."

Lorelai could see that she was holding back tears and on the whole didn't look a whole lot better than Logan had when he first knocked on her door that afternoon. "Of course I would be here! But I have some news. It's good, and it might turn that frown upside down." Lorelai finished in a sing-song voice, of course.

Rory sighed. "Sure, ok mom. Shoot."

That look of pure glee with a dash of impishness mixed in crossed over Lorelai's face in a way only Lorelai could pull off. "Well…I had a visitor earlier. He just showed up at my door, totally unexpected… and it was a _good_ visit…guess who it was."

"Umm, Luke?"

"No guess again."

"Dad?"

"No, try again."

"C'mon Mom, just tell me. I'm really not in the mood for games."

"Logan. It was Logan."

Suddenly everything went black and she choked on nothing; Rory was overcome. She had to bow her head and close her eyes because anything else was too painful. It hit her like a ton of bricks, really heavy bricks.

Lorelai watched as Rory closed down. "Ror? Rory? How ya doin'…?" Lorelai put her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Rory grasped her neck. "Lo-, Logan? Logan Huntzberger? My Logan? Logan, Logan? Logan was at our house _today_?"

Lorelai smiled. "The one and only. He came looking for you, well actually for information on where you might be…and I gave it to him. I told him you were in California looking for him."

Rory shook her head as if it were filled with cobwebs, it felt like it was. She was sure wasn't hearing her mother correctly. "I'm sorry, WHAT?"

She patted Rory's back. "Yeah, Logan came looking for you. He said some amazing things, Hon. He loves you for sure. And I told him that you were in California trying to find him and that he should go back home and meet you there."

Rory perked up. "Oh, my Gosh! Why didn't you tell me! I can't believe it! Do you know what this means?" She couldn't contain her happy, genuinely happy, squeal.

"Well, first of all, I couldn't tell you because when you called to tell me you were coming in tonight you wouldn't let me get one word in edgewise before you hung up. And yeah, I really do think I know what that means." They shared a smile for so many great things. She had arrived in Hartford with such a heavy heart, and only moments later, it turned into a time of great hope and anticipation.

"Yeah, oh wait, mom." The joy that just previously radiated off the younger woman was gone. "But what about the other woman? Those guys at his work said he took time off to go be with someone, sounded like a girlfriend-type."

Lorelai raised her hands to use them to help Rory understand. "Rory, you clearly don't understand this. _You _are the other woman. He took a vacation to find _you_!"

Rory's face broke into a smile, "I can't believe I missed this! Oh, this is so great! We are going to get back together and everything's going to be right again. This time I'm going to stay here. I'm going to wait for him. He'll call you if he doesn't find me, right? He'll come back, right?"

"Yeah, Sweets. He'll come find you." Lorelai rubbed her daughter's back and hoped she was right.

Rory laughed as they walked to the car. There was nothing funny, but it was all she could think to do.

LLG+LEH

Later that morning, just as he planned, he woke early. Logan called for the helicopter to pick him up at the Huntzberger estate so he could get to the HPG headquarters in New York. He called in the Executive Staff for a meeting from the chopper; and before the morning was out, the papers were signed, the 'I's' were dotted and the 'T's' were crossed. Logan officially assumed the head of his family's business.

Logan requested a slew of briefings that morning. He'd been out of the loop for several months and had to jump right back in. Once he felt he had a good outline of where his father left Huntzberger Publishing, Logan spent some time alone in his office. It was time he spent reflecting. It was easy for Logan to decide not to move into his father's office. He would keep the one he'd always used. Logan's office was just as big and it was his own, but there was something more to it than that. He didn't want to run his business like his father did. Running the business from his own office was a symbol of a different leader and a new way of doing business.

Logan also took some time to brainstorm some things that he would change about HPG. He realized that it was up to him to change the way the CEO conducted himself. His employees were smart, they were doing their jobs well, and it was easy for Logan to see that those weren't the kind of changes that needed to be made anyway. Logan decided that it would begin with showing his employees respect and care; and he would put real, honest-to-God, effort into smoothly incorporating each newspaper he would acquire. He would have an ethical way of doing business and he would find a way to do it so that he could have a real, full life outside of work and still run his business with integrity.

Just as Logan scribbled another idea down onto his ledger, he had to wonder how such a conviction came to him. He knew it wasn't anything he learned from his father, but he also knew there was no other option. He was determined that he would not turn out like Mitchum Huntzberger. After thinking about it, Logan realized that he wanted to do this; he wanted to change things because he remembered how Rory ran the Yale Daily News. Her leadership skills became his inspiration. He remembered things like how she used her strengths and then delegated to those who were strong in her weak places; she put her heart and soul into her work, but was reasonable about the amount of time she spent with it; and above all, Rory treated her staff well. Rory gave them affirmation, helped them improve, and used their strengths in the best places…and because of her and her way of doing business the YDN was the best it had been in a long time. Logan knew that.

His pen feverishly ran across the page, noting point after point. His paper filled up with bullets and bubbles and lines and arrows. It was a mess. It was good. And Logan knew it was the only way he could have it.

He ripped the paper from its binding and ran out to his assistant's desk. He asked her to call the Executive Staff back to the conference room for an emergency meeting. _ It's time to implement a _new_ way of doing business at HPG, and it's going to start now._


	4. Chapter 4 Two New Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(New Beginnings)**

It came as a shock. Everyone knew he was broken but he just _had_ to get fixed. And everyone wondered when the words would come from the doctor, 'He can go home now.'

Logan drove into his new position with the company with more than enough vibrato to get things moving again. That was the plan. And then when Mitchum got stronger, when he got better, Logan would be able to go to his father. His dad would be available for advice and for ideas for _their_ company. Mitchum would offer his insight- the kind of feedback that only someone with his experience could give. He would be a sounding board. That's how it was going to be. Mitchum would _be there._

But he wasn't _there_. He didn't get better. He got worse and then, in his sleep, Mitchum Huntzberger took his last breath.

It happened only a few weeks after Logan had come back to Huntzberger Publishing. Almost immediately following the memorial service Shira, unable to deal with the death of her husband, escaped to a favorite spa deep in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Such a move by Shira was to be expected, but it left Logan and Honor to deal with the legal, social, and business responsibilities that would inevitably arise out of their father's death. Honor took on the social obligations and it seemed only logical that Logan would take care of the rest.

One afternoon, not long after his father's memorial service, Logan sat at work tapping his pen on his desk. He couldn't seem to get motivated that day. He spent the day trying to immerse himself in work and only succeeded in _appearing _to be busy though nothing was actually moved off his desk. He couldn't relax and buckle down. There was simply too much swimming around in his head. He had a mental check list of items he needed to accomplish, so many business associates to keep happy, so much to review, so much to take in; then there were his sister and mother- he worried about them and how they were coping with the loss of Mitchum, and Logan knew _he_ certainly hadn't been able to deal with any of his own feelings about the whole thing. It was a mess. Everything was different.

He had to take some time to process and think through the new direction his life was headed. Both the jumping off point and the course of his life had changed several times in the few days prior and it was all he could do to keep his head on straight. It all began with the need to find Rory.

Of course the thought, _the hope_, of her never ceased to plague his mind; his desire for her only grew. He was also fully aware that he worked as hard as he did and took on such responsibilities because of her and the example she'd been for him in the past. He was trying to honor what she had taught him by word and action, trying to make it _count _for something. And in this quest to improve, and grow, and change, he realized some painful things along the way.

Logan allowed the pen to drop to his desk and ran his fingers through his hair. It was like everything he didn't want to realize hit him at the same time; it was overwhelming. He stared off into space and felt a very real pain rip into his chest. _So, that's what it feels like when your heart shatters. _ He wondered if he could remember why he did all of it when it was so painful- but maybe the pain would be the reminder to ensure he didn't stray from his path. _It's what's best for her. I can't skip steps without hurting her. It has to be this way._

Naturally, he felt a deep obligation to his family and Huntzberger Publishing Group, but another part of it- the bigger part of it- was that he had to be _worthy_ of Rory. His last encounters with her and then his moving to California so he wouldn't have to face the fall out wasn't right. Logan shook his head at himself and unbuttoned his top collar button before he loosened his tie. The cushioned leather of his desk chair felt good on his back and he leaned back harder so the softness would mold to the shape of his spine. It was too easy to rest his head back and close his eyes, but he didn't sleep- he didn't even relax, really. His mind was too busy, spinning. His plan was the only way he knew to make it right; so he would have something to take to her, to _offer _to her so she could see that he had grown and matured, that he could handle a serious relationship, that he was a man who could take on responsibility, that he could be grounded and connected to a family, and that he was dedicated to quality and a job well done. He just had to be those things before he could go after her. That was the part that broke him. He saw his immediate future and how it had to play out for a while…and Rory Gilmore wasn't in that picture.

He knew exactly what lay before him and then he imagined himself finding her. He thought of what he would do and say to somehow convince her to take him back, and it would all be wonderful… until he saw the next part of the scenario play out in his head. Rory would spend her time waiting- waiting for him to come back from a trip, or for him to find the time to take her out on a proper date, to get home from work late at night. It wasn't acceptable to carry on a relationship in such a fashion- not acceptable to Logan and he knew it wasn't likely Rory would allow it either. Logan wanted to be able to give her his undivided attention- Rory deserved that much at the very least. But, due to the responsibility he took from his father, he couldn't be that man… yet. He couldn't be the man she needed him to be when he had to leave her for weeks at a time, while he lived on airplanes and in hotels all around the world. It was the exact reasoning behind his conscious decision to put Rory and the possibility of their life together on hold. It was difficult and sad, and mature and honest, and deep and true. Her happiness and her feeling loved were, and would always be, more important to him that the immediate satisfaction of knowing she was his.

Logan knew he had to do it the right way. It was only fair to him; it was only fair to Rory.

It was an agonizing sacrifice for the young Huntzberger CEO. Though, in the midst of it all, Logan did make a silent vow that day. He would hold it as his own personal ray of hope. It was this he knew he would call upon when the world around him grew dark and cold. He promised himself that he would go after her. He had to. One day, the first day he had his company and his life under control- the moment he realized he could be the man he wanted to be for Rory, he would go to her. And it was that personal covenant to which he clung for the hope and motivation he needed to face what was to come.

It meant his life would be different from that moment forward. His new job _had _to take up a significant part of his life; honestly it would consume him- especially at the beginning. He needed time to adjust and just learn about the family business. It was the only way he could master his job, to step out of his father's shadow, and to make a name for _himself_; and he had to do it all while carrying on the Huntzberger name- with great pride.

_Talk about a balancing act._ He sighed to himself. Logan stared out his widow to watch the orange sun set off in the distance. He stood and walked toward his floor-to-ceiling window, almost chasing the sinking ball of fire. Knowing he would never catch it he stopped and simply stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets, helpless, watching the sunlight fade until the dark grays and blues of night overcame the light.

LLG+LEH

Rory had found it easy to settle back into a Stars Hollow routine. Her days were simple. She would have breakfast at Luke's with her mom and then spend the day at home simply waiting for Logan. Day after day, she settled further into the rut, into a boring, unproductive, laxidasical, foggy existence.

It wasn't often that Lorelai dreaded going home. It was even stranger for her to stay away from home when Rory was there, but she couldn't help this strange, tingling, apprehensive feeling from coming over her whenever she neared the house.

It wasn't that Rory was a particularly messy housemate and she didn't play couch-commando too often either, and, of course, she was always welcome in the house. Lorelai was only bothered in that Rory wasn't herself. Her daughter had gotten lost somewhere and suddenly Lorelai couldn't stand it!

It had already been a long day at work, and of course Lorelai had no food in the house so she had to stop at Doose's on the way home; she did not relish dealing with 'Lost Rory' that evening. She turned onto her street and anticipated exactly what she would see when she opened the door to her house. Rory would be flipping through a coffee table magazine, or reading a book, having a snack. The phone would be at her side, as it had been since she moved home.

Lorelai pulled up to the house and could see the living room light on inside. She moseyed across the yard and trudged up the steps with the paper grocery bag hugged to her body and resting on her hip. Her hand touched the doorknob and begun to open the door, all the while wishing to see something, anything different than her nearly 23 year old daughter parked on the couch doing absolutely nothing.

_No such luck._ Lorelai rolled her eyes at the scene and came up with a quick plan to find the girl she knew was hiding somewhere inside Rory Gilmore. "Hey Kid."

"Hi Mom. How was work?" Rory didn't bother to look up from her magazine.

She answered while she took groceries right into the kitchen. She didn't want the ice cream to melt or the tater tots to get mushy. "Fine, Michel was Michel, as always, but other than that, uneventful." She didn't miss a beat and decided it was time to address her daughter's problem whether she was ready or not. "You know, we kinda need to talk." The elder Gilmore Girl made her way back to the living room and fell into the chair adjacent to Rory's couch.

Rory looked up only very briefly. "What about?" Her eyes dropped back to the magazine.

Lorelai couldn't believe Rory's nonchalance about her life and was actually offended at the disinterest Rory showed for their conversation. She allowed her frustration to show on her face and got her daughter's attention. "Uhh, Ror? Up here, hon." Lorelai motioned to her face and slipped the magazine from Rory's grasp. "You can read that later. I want to know what's going on in that pretty head of yours- and I'm your mommy, I deserve to see those beautiful blue eyes I gave you when we talk." She ended with a tight smile that let her daughter know she was not impressed with her attitude.

Rory put her toes on the coffee table and ran her hands up her thighs to cap her knees. "I don't know. What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess I'm just confused. Your whole life, I've heard about all the grandiose plans you have for your future and seeing you so busy out _living_. It's like it doesn't make sense to me to see you lazing around the house all day, not working toward anything. So…what's going on?"

"I- I don't… know…" Rory hiked her shoulders up and squeezed her clasped hands between her knees. "I guess I think I shouldn't go too far so when Logan comes I won't miss him…But I'm starting to think he's not…actually….coming..."

Lorelai moved to sit with Rory on the couch and put her arm around her daughter. "Well, I don't know if he is or not. And just because he hasn't come yet doesn't mean he won't come at all. Remember the last thing he knew about you is that you were in California, and it's only been a couple of weeks. Maybe he's still there. He came to me when he wanted to find you the first time. If all else fails he knows he can get to you through me again. Just give it some time." Lorelai dropped her forehead to rest on Rory's and the two women sat there in silence for a moment. "You know what could make the time go by faster?"

Rory closed her eyes. Talking about the fact that Logan hadn't come for her made the wound so fresh. "Hmm?"

"You know, like a routine, something to keep you busy. I talked to Andrew today. He said he could use some help at the bookstore again. It's close to home and you liked it before. You interested?"

Rory thought it over quickly. Her mom was right. Her way of life since coming home had been less than satisfactory, but taking the job meant she would still be fairly available as Logan _could_ still come for her. "I'll talk to Andrew tomorrow."

Lorelai smiled. _Mission accomplished. _ She knew her fantastic daughter was meant for more than lazing around, and more than Andrew's Bookstore, and even more than Stars Hollow- but it was a start. "Anytime, Sweets."

LLG + LEH

"Have a good night, Andrew. I'll see you tomorrow." Rory and Andrew parted ways after closing the shop for the night. Rory waited for a while at home just flipping through the channels when she remembered Lorelai had to work late. On her own that night, she meandered around Stars Hollow enjoying the evening and on her way home she picked up something for dinner. Rory continued to scan through what was on tv while she ate, when she saw something that caught her eye and she paused to watch. Strangely enough it was a news program. She watched with attention she never knew she could give to tv news, as she preferred her news in print. That time, though, her eyes stayed glued to the TV and she drank in every word the news anchor read.

Rory sat for a long time long after the program had moved onto other stories. Stunned into silence, she didn't move. She sat up straight as a board on the edge the couch, her hands resting on her knees. She could still hear his booming voice and loud laughter in her head, but they seemed miles away. She heard the words she'd heard him speak to her years before and remembered his eyes- the eyes he shared with his son- and how they'd appraised her on numerous occasions at work, at parties, in the newsroom, at his home. The new development was strange to think of and utterly unbelievable. After a long moment it finally registered in her head. _Mitchum is dead. _The thought ran over and over again in her mind, and then Logan entered her thoughts and her throat immediately constricted. _Where is he? Is he okay? Did he get to speak with his father before he died? Is he still in California? Did he go back to work at his father's company? Is this why he didn't come to me? Does he need me now? What can I do? _

Rory regained her composure and called her mother to give her the news. "Mom, what do I do? Shouldn't I do…I don't know…_something_?"

"Well, I mean, yeah. A lot of times people send flowers or cards when someone passes away, right?"

"You know they probably have tons of people offering things, and everyone knows they can buy whatever they need. I guess I should just let them know that I'm sorry he died. Maybe I'll send an arrangement of flowers- to go with the hundreds they've probably already received?" _ I don't know. It seems so trivial, but I can't do nothing. I should do… something. _

"That sounds nice, Ror. And how are you doing with this news? You okay? You knew him too, and you have this thing going on with his son, do you feel like you need to talk or anything?"

"No, I don't think so. It's just all so strange. I mean, I think I must have thought of him as a sort of machine or something. It doesn't make sense to me yet. I'm just thinking about Logan. I hope he's alright."

LLG+LEH

Logan was working very late, again, reviewing reports. He was so focused on the papers before him that the vibration of his blackberry in his breast pocket made him jump. He looked around while he dug out the phone, slightly embarrassed, even though there was no one else there. Before saw her picture on the display, Logan guessed correctly that it was Honor. He smiled when he looked at her picture on the caller ID and smiled before accepting the call. "Hey."

"Hey Logan, how's it goin' over there?"

Logan glanced at all the work scattered all over his desk. "It's… alright. I can't believe how busy I am, _all the time_, but all things considered, it's okay. How's your night going?"

He heard her sigh over the phone. "I'm fine; I just thought you- I got something- well… we got a really interesting delivery today."

Puzzled, Logan replied slowly, "Okay…well…is everything ok? What kind of interesting are we talking about?"

"Actually it's an arrangement of flowers- they're rather lovely, actually.

"Hmm. That's nice... Right? Hey don't we have like a million of 'em around the house right now?" He wasn't keen on chatting about _flowers_ when he had so much work to do; it was already so late.

Honor smiled. She loved to play with her baby brother. "Yeah, we do, and they're nice; but the flowers I'm talking about were sent with the message: 'Thinking about you. Let me know if I can help.' And it's signed 'Always, LLG'."

Logan tried not to let Honor hear his breath hitch. He closed his eyes and a smile almost graced his mouth as he thought of the only LLG he could think of. He paused a beat to keep his emotions in check. "Oh… okay, sis. Thanks for letting me know."

"Anytime, brother. Do you want to talk about…who…you think it might be, or… anything…?"

Logan could hear her smile over the phone and knew he just couldn't deal with it- not at work, not when he'd already made the decision to let go of LLG- for a while. It would only sidetrack him, and he had to stay focused. "I _really _can't right now, but maybe later."

"Ok, Brother, let me know. Talk to you later." Honor's dissatisfaction with his reply was evident in her tone and quick dismissal.

"Bye sis. And thanks."

"Sure, Logan. See you when you get home."

Logan ended the call and sat there with his hands folded staring at the phone. _Are those flowers from Rory? They have to be. Do I know any other LLGs? Should I reply? This really could mean nothing. I don't even know that they are positively from her, they could be from anyone. Maybe just a Thank You note? No. Honor's taking care of that stuff. Is it _really _that wise to keep myself away from her? _ He thought on that for a split second and answered his own question. _Yes! This is the best way. Stay the course. Don't screw this up! _

Deep down, Logan knew the flowers were from Rory, but he was actually at a loss about what to do. "Later" he said aloud to himself. "I'll deal with that later".

His focus had to remain on the Huntzberger Publishing Group.

LLG+LEH

Rory spent the next months in much the same fashion. She worked, relaxed, slept, and spent quality time with her mom and, as always, waited for Logan to call or just show up. She guessed that if Logan had been planning to catch up with her the passing of his father had changed that plan. _He's not coming. Stop wasting your life you silly girl! _She knew it was trivial, but she couldn't help but chastise herself. She couldn't believe she allowed herself to stay so stagnant and expect Logan to come when she knew, possibly better than anyone, how Mitchum, and his life, and his plans, and his will held so much power. And more than that, she remembered the way Mitchum affected _Logan_. She was sure Mitchum's death had Logan's emotions all over the map. There would be sadness, of course; pressure to seamlessly take over his father's job, pressure to take care of his mom and sister in the difficult time; and if Rory knew the Huntzberger family at all, Logan would also be annoyed. He would be annoyed with having to deal with so much business because of the publishing group and the fact that it was such a huge part of his father's life.

Rory hoped her gesture of sending condolences and flowers would not go unnoticed, but it obviously had. _Well, it's not like you actually signed your name to them so how's he supposed to know you sent anything at all? Besides, he probably has just a few things on his plate right now. Get a grip! _

The making excuses and justifications, and the waiting, and the moping continued until she was done. One day in the fall Rory woke up one morning and headed out for a walk; she just had to get out and clear her head. On her third loop around Stars Hollow, her mixed up thoughts became much clearer. It was as if the haze had blown away and her direction was made perfectly clear. …And then she became suddenly and insanely fed up with herself. _I'm_ _not living life and I need to get over this. I don't know why he hasn't shown up, but he hasn't and it's not likely he will now. I need to move on. I gotta figure out a way to get over him. It's time._

It took a good while to wallow and take her baby steps forward, but she did it. In doing so she pushed any ideas of Logan out of her mind and decided she _would _move on, she just had to.

The change in her attitude about Logan changed how she viewed every part of her life. The realization became truly complete one afternoon on her short drive to Andrew's Bookstore for her afternoon shift. She looked around at her beloved townsfolk and friends. The storefronts and town square were beautiful and also just _small_. She sighed and shook her head.

She wondered how her mom would take the news. She guessed Lorelai would have mixed feelings about it all. Rory loved living with her mom in Stars Hollow while working at Andrew's bookstore and frequenting Luke's just like she had done most of her life. Her little town and all of the quirky people there from Miss Patty to Kirk and Lulu, and even Taylor and Gypsy made it a great place to grow up. And it was so good to have some time in such a familiar place to relax, take some time, breathe, and remember who she was and what she loved to do. And that time and that place were good for her, for a time; but Stars Hollow was not to be her future. It was her past, a wonderful past, but that era of her life had ended. She had to get ready so the next segment of her life could and would take off.

Rory sighed again when she rounded the corner and the bookshop came into view. The idea of quitting on Andrew was hard to swallow, but the old year was just about up and the start of the new year would mean a new season of her life. _I'm ready to fly._

Just as she did as her Yale graduation approached the previous spring, Rory sent out resumes to different newspapers all over the country and applied for fellowships and even a few internships she could see being worth her while. She applied everywhere from Hartford to New York to Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and even San Francisco.

And then she waited.

But not for long.

Lorelai walked back into the house from the mail box and kicked the door closed. "Ror! Hey Rory! Surprise, surprise you have more mail than me again!"

Rory wondered what her mom was yelling about that time. "What?"

Lorelai followed the sound of her daughter's voice to her bedroom, flipping through the mail along the way. "Rory, look at this, Hon. You have another response to your applications."

"Really?" Rory took the envelope from her mom. It was big. Lorelai finished sifting through the rest of the mail while Rory opened her letter and pulled out a packet of papers. Before she could look through them Lorelai handed her two more envelopes. "Wow. I wish it would have been like this the first time I sent out my resumes! I've been getting replies to my email too. Some places aren't hiring, but for the most part, it looks like I can actually choose where I want to go."

"That's so great, Ror! Do you have an idea of what you want to do yet?" Rory had been overwhelmed at how quickly responses flooded into her mailbox. It was refreshing and so encouraging to find that a number of different papers were interested in the youngest Ms. Gilmore. She heard from the Chicago Tribune first, followed by the Washington Post, LA Times, and a few smaller papers like the Hartford Current, the Providence Journal, and even some others in New York, Virginia, and DC. She certainly felt wanted.

"Not yet. I'm still sorting through everything so I can make my lists!" Rory knew the grin on her face gave her away as a nerd, but she didn't care.

As soon as she had enough information about the different job prospects, she began her pro-con lists with each of the jobs that replied favorably to her resume as her headings. Her biggest dilemma was whether she should be a small fish in a big pond or the opposite.

In the end she decided to start with a small paper to learn, and hopefully her rookie mistakes would be broadcasted to a smaller audience. Rory figured she would always have the opportunity to move on to a larger paper later. For Rory, it wasn't worth it to start her career at a larger paper only to be assigned fact checking and proofreading for the first few years. She wanted to write as soon as possible and she could do that and continue to build her portfolio at a smaller paper.

Having loved the time she spent in New York, Rory decided to pursue a staff writing job there. The New York Progress wasn't the 'Times' by any means, but it was a quality paper and had a broad readership. She interviewed and received a job offer that same day. She accepted!

Rory loved going into the office, setting up her desk and meeting her new colleagues. She felt at ease there- totally in her element. As expected, the paper did start her on smaller, peripheral assignments, but she quickly showed them that she could handle more and moved up to high-profile stories, just as Lorelai had predicted- and just as Rory hoped. It turned out that Rory made the right decision in choosing the small but mighty New York newspaper.

It wasn't long before Rory Gilmore was the leading staff writer with the most bylines above the fold. Rory's paper began to get bigger and more popular in New York and even the surrounding regions. Only a few months after Rory began working Lorelai was able to get the paper delivered to her home in Stars Hollow instead of being forced to use a computer to find Rory's pieces on the internet. Lorelai read her daughter's newspaper from front to back- and didn't really even mind that the ink made her hands 'icky'.

Things had turned out alright for Rory Gilmore.


	5. Chapter 5 So Far, So Close

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(So Far, So Close)**

For nearly a year, Rory worked to build her life; she networked, and learned her way around her new town. Her staff writing job was going well and she loved City life. Her world, and her particular place in it, finally felt _right. _It fit her so much better than being an overseas correspondent, better than riding around on a bus writing political pieces about one man all of the time, and it was definitely better than sitting at home waiting for a _certain_ man to call. She drove up to Stars Hollow often enough to see Lorelai and Luke, and occasionally out to Hartford to spend time with her grandparents too. All in all, her life had finally begun to take shape in such a way she could never have imagined.

Her job kept her interest and she felt the spark begin to reemerge in her writing. Her fingers flew over the keyboard and she sent article after article off to the editor's inbox. It gave her a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of overwhelming peace each time Rory knew she just _nailed _it!

She sat at her desk and beamed to herself. _I'm finally starting to feel like _me _again_. When she looked up from her reverie she saw her regular lunch gal pals signaling to her that it was time to find something to eat. Rory nodded back and closed her computer. She quickly found her purse and put on her jacket to go meet Jill and Kimberly for lunch.

Jill, Rory, and Kimberly had met at work and become quick friends. They even came to find that their fast friendship was rooted in solid ground- a true bond. Both of Rory's new friends were beautiful and bubbly, very smart, and kind of quirky- like Rory. The three of them were a good fit for each other and it took nearly all of Rory's self control to keep from comparing their little group of three to an infamous group of three gentlemen that she used to know.

Jill always wore a smile on her face- whether it was out of sheer excitement, giddy fun, or some mischievous plot circling in her head. Her body was beautifully voluptuous and Jill _knew it! _ Rory and Kimberly often found themselves rolling their eyes at their third, but Jilly wouldn't be their Jilly without her playful attitude. Utterly fun loving and outgoing, herself, it drove Jill crazy that Rory seemed to have a hard time 'letting go' and being 'free'. Jill often noted that something inside Rory held her back from living life to the fullest; and she made it her personal mission to loosen Rory up. Jill marched to the beat of her own drum, which actually helped her write _truly_ incredible pieces for the Arts and Leisure section at their paper. Her writing followed a whimsical carefree pattern that sucked readers in with the ideals of those who don't _have_ to care and the persuasion of those who supremely enjoy life.

On the other hand, while Kimberly was free and knew how to have a good time, she kept a level head in just about every situation. She was responsible, wise, and witty. If Rory wanted a good time or an original experience she went to Jill, but if she needed advice, or to vent, or wanted to talk literature or politics she went straight to Kimberly. Kimberly operated on logic, and while things didn't always have to be black or white, there was a part of Kimmy that did appreciate absolutes. Her calm, systematic ways often contradicted her blond bombshell looks. The loosely curled locks falling down her back, paired with a grace that came from somewhere deep inside always turned heads. Rory and Jill often found themselves shaking their heads at Kimberly's natural beauty. Kimberly was less aware of the way men looked at her- especially when compared to the attention Jill knew she attracted; though Jill and Kimberly privately agreed that no one on earth could be less aware of her affect on men than their own Ms. Rory Gilmore.

Her hypnotizing translucent-blue eyes captivated anyone who locked eyes with the Gilmore Girl; and when matched with her Girl-Next-Door picture perfect looks and charming witticisms, Rory had any man hooked the moment she made their acquaintance. Rory's tall yet feminine frame would have been intimidating if not for her inviting smile and approachable manner. She had kept her hair long and therefore had mastered the 'flip' to toss it back over her shoulders when it got in the way. It had become an ongoing bit for Jill and Kimberly to tease Rory at how she always looked beautiful whether she was dressed for a night out, a night in, or had just come from work and had newspaper ink smudged across her cheek.

The women were like morning, noon, and night. Each of them shared qualities and had so much in common that it was easy and natural to relate to one another; yet there were great differences that kept their friendship fresh and fun. The women joked that the three of them combined made the complete and perfect woman- not that any of them wasn't a complete woman all by herself.

To the disappointment of many, all three were single- by choice, yet each of them had experienced serious relationship in the years before. Jill had had a couple long term boyfriends. Kimberly had even been engaged a few years earlier; but her fiancé cheated on her a few months before their wedding- so that obviously didn't work out. And then Rory, of course, was focusing on her new life and finding new opportunities. Rory, Kimberly, and Jill all came from good, solid homes, though childhood looked different for each of them. Their different pasts meant they could all relate to one another, but also that each of them brought a different, important perspective to the table about life, men, and everything in between.

Kimmy and Jill helped keep Rory sane when she first moved to the City and started working, and then they all kept each other grounded and motivated once their bond began to cement. They each had their own condos and their own lives, to an extent; but when the three were together it was a sort of _home _for all of them_._

LLG + LEH

In the middle of November Rory received an envelope in the mail from her grandparents. Upon seeing the return address she smiled to herself. _It's been too long since I've seen Grandma and Grandpa._ She tore open the envelope to reveal an invitation to Richard and Emily Gilmore's Annual Christmas Party. Rory decided to attend. It would do her some good to be back at their house for an evening. As long as she didn't have to do it too often, Rory almost _enjoyed _dressing up for a society party.

The night of the party came in early December and Rory wore a cranberry strapless cocktail dress made entirely of satin, and her hair down so her soft curls flowed past her shoulders for a touch of modesty. She was satisfied with her appearance- quite appropriate for a Gilmore Christmas Party. Many of the guests, she assumed, would know of her break up with Logan, since he proposed to her at a Gilmore party, and it was important to her that they see how 'fine' she truly was.

Rory drove up to Hartford and even smiled as she approached her grandparents' home. That familiar ring of the doorbell made her feel warm inside- something she didn't often feel upon arriving for an evening with her Grandparents. Emily answered the door and Rory loved that she immediately complained about the maid's general incompetence. She embraced her grandmother for a long moment and when they pulled away to greet each other more formally happy tears glistened in the eyes of each woman.

Emily seemed to shake off the emotion and replace it with a smile. She took her granddaughter's coat and draped it across the waiting arms of the maid who had _finally_ managed to make it to the door. "Rory, we've missed you so much! We are _so_ glad you could make it tonight."

"I've missed you too, Grandma. It's good to see you. I can't wait to see Grandpa too."

Emily placed one of her hands on each of Rory's bare shoulders and they moved out of the foyer and into the house. "Oh, yes, of course Rory. Let me take you to him. He is _very_ excited to see you. We _all_ are." Emily linked her arm through Rory's and led her to Richard.

When Richard saw his granddaughter, the tall man gave her a quick appraisal and halted his business conversation mid sentence to envelop Rory in a long hug.

"Rory, dear, it is _wonderful_ to see you. You look quite well. New York seems to agree with you very much indeed!" Richard couldn't help but smile at his beautifully grown up granddaughter.

She took in his praise and willed her shoulders back to stand taller, feeling a sense of pride at his comments. "Yes, Grandpa, I really feel like it does. Work's going well and, I'm making a good life for myself there."

"Glad to hear it, Rory. We have read all of your articles and I must say we are quite impressed. You become a better writer every year."

She beamed up at her grandfather. "Really? Thank you! I guess it's good to hear you say that, 'cause I plan to keep writing for a long time."

"Yes, Rory, I'm sure you will." Emily confirmed. "You know, your mother and Luke are here too. Have you seen them yet? I know they are looking forward to seeing you tonight."

"Mom's here? I didn't know she was coming. I should go find her."

"Yes, I think she went that way." Emily gestured toward the formal living room and Rory went in search of her mother. It had been way too long since she'd seen her mother and Rory always found Lorelai entertaining at society events.

As Rory wandered around the party she enjoyed all of the decorations and the festive music. The food, of course, was very good because the Gilmores always had the best party food. Rory was truly having a good time until her eyes landed on a most unwelcome face.

Shira Huntzberger. As if it wasn't bad enough to be in the same room with the woman , Rory actually saw Shira walking toward her… Rory would have been perfectly content if the two women could have spent the evening pretending to ignore each other, but Mrs. Huntzberger had other thoughts on that.

Before she was really close enough, Shira greeted "Rory Gilmore! It's so good to see you!" The older woman stretched out her arms to Rory and she took Shira's hands and greeted her with the customary air kisses to each cheek.

It was painfully obvious to Rory how much of a show this was. Anyone could tell Shira hardly meant her words. …but like Rory Gilmore does, she gave a kind enough, _polite enough _response anyway. "Shira, it's lovely to see you too." Rory used her most pleasant society voice.

"And how are you dear? You look just _lovely_!" Shira motioned to her dress and, much to her credit, almost sounded sincere that time. _Dear? Did she actually just call me 'dear'?_

Rory fingered her hair at her neck. "Um, I'm fine, Shira and thank you." Rory motioned to the champagne colored evening gown of Shira's and returned the compliment. "Your dress is pretty too. How are you?"

"Oh, you know, Rory, I'm doing just fine".

Rory realized she was fidgeting and folded her hands in front of her. They stood there in sort of awkward silence looking everywhere but at each other. Rory could tell by Shira's darting eyes and the fact that she'd opened and closed her mouth more than three times that Shira wanted to say something more, but because of the lack of conversation between the women she wasn't sure how to begin. Then, out of nowhere she just said it. It was on the tip of her tongue and without regard to the circumstances she just blurted it out! "Logan was going to come tonight."

Rory's head snapped to face Shira and she did her best not to gape at the older woman, but it proved impossible._ What? Why did she say that? What makes this woman think it's alright to talk to me about him? Why is she smiling? What does it matter to her if Logan comes to my Grandparents' Christmas Party? Ugh! _"Oh… no, I didn't know that." Rory replied desperately trying to stay calm and not let Shira see how she had blindsided Rory; yet Rory could feel her throat closing and she suddenly felt quite warm.

"Yes, but unfortunately work kept him away. He's in New York now, you know."

Rory plucked a champagne flute off a passing tray and stole a sip to buy herself some recovery time. _He lives in the same city as me? _ "Oh, really? No, I didn't know that either." She cleared her throat just to make sure it was still functioning properly. Rory was convinced it wasn't. "So how is Honor? I haven't spoken to her in _ages_." Rory hoped to move the conversation to a less difficult subject.

"She's fine dear. Maybe you should call her and go shopping or something."

_There was 'dear' again and why is this woman talking to me about Logan and Honor? Doesn't she hate me?_ "Yes, maybe I will do that." And then it became plain that Shira's attention had already shifted to someone else. That was Shira Huntzberger's way: flitting about the room, making contacts. It was how she stayed on top of the proverbial 'society game'. …Besides, her 'work' with Rory that evening was obviously done. Shira had successfully thrown Rory for a loop and messed with her mind to no end.

"Well, it was nice seeing you Rory. I just saw someone I must not miss tonight. Have a good evening."

"Yes, thank you, and you do the same, Shira." Rory, thankful to finally be free of Logan's mother, continued her search for her own mom and Luke-and a place to breathe. She decided she didn't care for society parties after all.

The rest of the time was more bearable- to a degree. Rory had a good time catching up with her grandparents and her mom and Luke. There were a few more people that she knew from the DAR and some who were parents of acquaintances from Yale, but she mostly just stayed with Lorelai. Actually, Rory _had_ to stay near someone who was safe and comfortable. The information Shira shared about Logan put her on edge for the rest of the evening and she needed stability-like her life depended on it! Rory even caught herself, more than just a few times, glancing toward the front door for any sign that Logan had ditched work to come to the party. _How pathetic am I?_

Rory went home to Stars Hollow with her Mom that night, and she drove back to New York the next day. As usual, December flew by as everyone prepared for the Holidays. Rory rushed around all month and finally managed to finish her Christmas shopping just the day before she drove up to Stars Hollow for Christmas.

LLG + LEH

As soon as she saw Rory's silvery-blue Prius turn onto their street, Lorelai called to Luke. "Luke! She's _here_! Come outside!" Lorelai was already outside, waiting, as Rory turned her car into the driveway. Rory smiled at her mom waiting so expectantly outside, in the snow. Lorelai begun to yell and Rory laughed as she could plainly hear Lorelai even though the car door wasn't yet open. "Daughter! Where have you been? I've missed you so much!" Lorelai ran to hug her daughter and by the time they got to each other their mutual momentum combined with navigating through the knee-high snow knocked them both to the ground in a heap of limbs, scarves, shoes and bags; their fall softened by a blanket of fresh snow. It was Home.

Rory called out the obvious as it, too, was part of their reunion ritual. "I'm here! I'm here!"

"Yes, and now you will never leave your mommy!" Lorelai answered with an equally silly remark.

"Yeah! For a few whole days!" Rory looked at her mom pointedly and hoped she remembered that she had to be back in New York before New Year's Eve.

"What?"

Rory rolled her eyes at her mom. "Mom, I told you last week that I couldn't stay long. I have a work thing on New Year's Eve, remember?"

Lorelai stood up and held her hands out to help Rory up too. "Yeah, well we'll see about that. What if I come down with some _dreadful_ disease and you _have _to stay here to take care of me?" She clutched her throat in a show of pain only her daughter would appreciate.

"I'll just have to make sure you take your vitamins and keep you from kissing sick people." Rory threaded her arm through her mother's and the two women walked inside leaving Luke to bring Rory's bags inside.

LLG + LEH

Logan finally admitted that the time had come. He had to start to think about getting ready to tear himself away from his desk. He knew he _could_ work through the Christmas holiday, but he promised he wouldn't. He promised Honor, who in turn promised their mother, that he would be home for Christmas- so he was stuck. He had to go. He rested his elbows on his desk and rubbed his eyes. His assistant, Terri, knew exactly what was going on in his head, but she refused to play into his hand. She had a soft spot for the young Huntzberger and if she allowed herself to get sucked in, he would convince her to let him skip Christmas with his family altogether. "Mr. Huntzberger, your Vice Presidents have all left the office for the holidays and you should do the same. It will only be a few days and then you can return to work. I think it's best if you leave now. It will be late by the time you get to Hartford as it is and the weather is only going to make the roads worse."

He looked up at Terri from his desk with pleading eyes and wished she would tell him the company simply wouldn't make it without him- so he wouldn't have to face his mother- but, of course, she didn't. He knew that _she_ knew exactly what he wanted her to say, so he sighed and packed up his briefcase and put on his coat. Before he left he hugged the older woman. He gave her his parting wishes for a Merry Christmas and presented her with a gift and one for her husband as well. He gave her strict instructions not to open them until their family Christmas celebration. In Terri's package were two airplane tickets to Kauai and in her husband's was the Hotel reservations and vouchers for two weeks all expenses paid for his favorite resort at Princeville. He didn't usually give gifts of such magnitude to his other assistants and Vice Presidents; but Terri was special- and he was glad to show her his appreciation whenever possible. It was a mutual admiration society and that worked for Logan and Terri.

Logan stepped into the elevator and pressed 'U" for the underground parking garage. His brand new black Navigator was parked in the first space. He was thankful that he remembered to pack and put his overnight bag in the SUV the night before. It would be a late night as it was without having to go home to pick up his things. He still had his Porsche, but since he'd taken control of Huntzberger publishing, the sports car began to feel like a car that ought to only be used for play. So he kept it for just that- play- and went for the SUV for everyday use. He'd only been purchased it a few weeks before, so the trip north would his first trip of any substantial distance; and despite the destination, he was excited to stretch its legs for the nearly two hour drive.

The roads were familiar. He'd driven those streets and highways a thousand times before so he hardly focused on the road at all. "Damn!" He exclaimed aloud and pounded once on the steering wheel. _I wish I hadn't promised Honor that I would spend Christmas at home. _He was already on I-91 and would arrive at his mother's house way too soon for his liking. It seemed like he'd just passed the turn off for Yale when he noticed the sign for the exit off the highway for Stars Hollow. He thought for a brief second about exiting toward Rory's hometown, but decided against it and continued to brood in his reluctance to see his mother. And again he wished he was too busy to stop working for the Holidays, but he wasn't. He'd finally set up a normal work schedule for himself and that included personal days off, Holidays, and even vacation time.

As the distance between his mother's home and himself further diminished, the intensity of his mental preparation grew exponentially. It took a toll on him to spend time with his family and he had to be ready. His time in Hartford would be short and, really, the only part he was looking forward to was spending some time with his sister and her husband, Josh.

He arrived late that night, just in time for welcoming hugs and night caps after which everyone separated and went to their respective wings of the great mansion. Logan went to his childhood bedroom, which he noticed had been completely redone and redecorated. It had evolved into something more akin to a guestroom- though his personal effects had been re-placed after the remodel. He put his bags on the desk and placed his shaving kit in the bathroom attached to the bedroom. He thought he would be tired after working all day and then driving up late that night, but he wasn't.

Logan put on his coat and a scarf and decided to walk the grounds. He didn't know why. So far the visit had been tolerable and it _was_ a true joy to see his sister again. Nonetheless, that night, he found himself walking. The ground was snow-covered, though it wasn't snowing just then. It was just cold- clear and cold. He shoved his hands into his pockets and chastised himself for leaving his gloves inside. At first matters of business rumbled around in his head. He made several mental notes, but didn't email them to Terri or any of his VPs. He was, technically speaking, on vacation; and he didn't want to bother his staff with work the night before Christmas Eve. He wanted them to enjoy the time with their families.

He guessed he'd become sort of accustomed to the cold air because in the short walk to the edge of the Huntzberger Grounds he felt less cold. Logan started off along the edge of estate toward the next corner of their property and thought of what it would be like to spend the Holidays with a family of his own. It was a great thought. He knew one of his Vice Presidents, Howard- who had become a good friend of Logan's, was celebrating his first Christmas with his first child. He was almost envious of the joy he knew Howard must have that Holiday Season. Logan hadn't realized that he had almost reached his destination until he got there and turned to continue his walk of the perimeter. His thoughts shifted again to what he hoped lay in his own future. His own family. He saw children there; he knew there would be children at some point- he hoped there would be, anyway. And there was Rory. He could see her in his vision. She was the most clear part of the whole thing. The rest of it was flexible, but he was certain, if he had anything to say about it, Rory would be there. The thought was bittersweet for the excitement and anticipation of that possibility was great, while the reality of it was not to be, not that year anyway. When he came to the front doors of the house again, he went inside and the warmth of the heated home made him drowsy and he knew he would sleep that night.

During the few days he had off from work he really only half-focused on his family and the Holiday. He always had some thought or idea spinning around in his head about Rory. He wondered if he would be so preoccupied if he hadn't thought of her that first night home; but then again, she was never far from his thoughts. But those days, the ideas and memories and thoughts grew very pointed. It was the first time in a long while that he pictured specific things about her, thought of exact questions he had for her, remembered past milestones with her. She was there, settled in his mind, while he celebrated Christmas with his family.

Logan recalled his reasons for keeping his distance since moving back to the East Coast. _Ok, I've learned the family business backward and forward, I can always delegate others to do most of the traveling for me- and I have those rules: 'Can't stay at work past seven more than two nights a week. Sundays are off limits for work no matter what- and Saturdays too, as much as possible.'_

He'd nearly decided that the time was right to find her, time to see Rory. _Is it time? What if I'm finally ready? Is she ready? Is she seeing someone else? What if she says 'no'?_ The thoughts ran him ragged and the unknown tortured him deeply, and it made him hesitate. It made him doubt himself. Suddenly he wasn't sure.

The night he was to leave for New York, he thought of his sister. He wanted to check with her. He had to make sure he didn't jump on this, if he could convince himself he was ready, just because he missed her so much. He needed to talk to someone he knew would be brutally honest with him, _because it's not just about me_. Logan couldn't ask Rory to be a part of his life when he wasn't _absolutely_ sure he had enough time for her. He wanted to date her, to woo her, to meet her for lunch, to be able to take her away for the weekend, all those things that went along with being in a relationship- with being a boyfriend.

After Boxing Day dinner, Logan pulled his sister into the study.

They each took a seat in the leather chairs facing the desk. Logan poured each of them a drink, and began. "Listen, Honor, I just need to… talk about something and then, if you don't mind, I'd like you tell me what you think." He ran his fingers through his hair while he thought about what to say next; or maybe he was simply stalling. It's never easy to admit vulnerabilities anyway, but especially when you're the Huntzberger Golden Boy. Logan finally found his words, "I know you really liked Rory when I dated her before." He paused and stole a look at his sister. He couldn't read her expression so he went on. "I also know you were upset with me when I screwed things up with her; but you have to know that I'm not the same guy I was then; more than that, I'm not the same without Rory by my side." That time he didn't let himself look at Honor's reaction. He quickly finished his sentence and then took a long drink of scotch, just to let his words sink in.

It surprised Honor to hear Logan talk like that, so candidly about his ex girlfriend. She certainly hadn't expected to hear about Rory when he asked her to chat. Honor really did like Rory, but Honor also thought she was in Logan's past, and she intended to let that be known to her brother…but then Honor moved her head side to side like she was working something through her mind. "Well, I have to admit that when you two were together, you were the most joyful, carefree, and…responsible that you've ever been, until now. I mean, as soon as you broke up you became this solemn, somber guy. Remember? You walked around with your head down, and you weren't the over-confident, outgoing, charming Logan you were before her, either." She shrugged. "…But still… I don't know if it's the best idea to give it another try- for Rory's sake. I know how you've thrown yourself into work and have had no time for anything _but_ work since you moved to California, and I do miss Rory; but I also like her, and as much as I love you, Logan, I'm not sure that you're _good for her._"

His head shot up from where he'd focused in on his drink and met her eyes. He was a little offended. "Honor! But, listen. I know all that, I've changed, I really have! I have this whole plan, and I've spent so much time thinking about-" He stopped himself. Logan closed his eyes and played his sister's words again in his head. He understood her perfectly. When their eyes met Honor could see the pain in her little brothers' eyes and she almost reneged, but she had to be honest with her brother. "I know you cared a lot about her, but you also hurt her really badly- more than just once. I don't want to encourage you to pursue her again if I can't be sure you will work for her and the relationship; if you won't fight for her, body and soul, it just wouldn't be fair to Rory."

Logan understood. His sister was concerned for Rory. So he stopped trying to fight her. He let it go. He really tried to understand his wise older sister; in fact he found a way to convince himself that he agreed with her. _Yes. She's right about this. Suck it up, Logan._ "Thanks Honor. Thank you for talking me through this."

His sister reached out and took his hand. "You gonna be ok?"

He met her eyes. He could see that she didn't at all relish the pain her honesty caused him, so he nodded, though he knew he wouldn't be ok without Rory. He licked his lips and rubbed them together. "Yeah. Listen, I won't do anything stupid and I'll remember what you said, but I've got to get going. Long drive back, you know." He stood up and dropped a kiss on Honor's cheek. "I love you, sis. Take care. I promise I'll talk to you soon."

She stood up and watched her brother turn away from her. He slid one hand into his pocket and reached for the door with the other. She understood his quick exit. He was running from her. She hated that she hurt him. She also knew that Logan needed to hear her concerns- whether she was right or not. And she knew that he knew that too.

Once he disappeared through the door she fell back into the chair and muttered to herself. "Bye, Logan. Love you too. Take care and call me often" It was the way they always said goodbye…

Logan hurried to find the rest of the family. After saying goodbye to Josh, his mother, and his grandfather, Logan got into his SUV and started south for New York, but his head still buzzed with questions and worry and hope of Rory. _Rory is someone that I do care about and I have to be smart about her. I don't want to hurt her again, but I've always known that. _Was_ Honor really right this time? _

As he, again, neared the Stars Hollow exit on the highway the doubts about his sister's logic grew until he wondered if she really knew the extent of his feelings for Rory. _How could she know? She probably has no idea how much Rory's affected me and my life since we broke up. I don't exactly share my life with my family. _Logan felt himself being drawn toward that sleepy little town. At the very last minute he swerved onto the exit ramp and rolled into Stars Hollow. He drove through slowly and recognized some of the places he had seen when Rory took him home one weekend a year and a half prior. Logan drove up to her house and saw her silver Prius sitting in the driveway. S_he's here! I could knock on the door and see her right now! Maybe I could make her see… It would be different this time. I could show her… _

_ …_And then, like a semi truck careening straight toward him, his sister's cautions came flooding back to hit him square in the heart. In reality he had only tapped his breaks to slow his car before he momentarily lost his mind. As he regained his head he pressed on his gas pedal and drove on. He made it through the Hollow and back onto the highway toward New York.

LLG + LEH

That night Miss Patty stepped out of her studio for a breath of fresh air. It was late and the air was cold. She took a deep breath in to fill her lungs before she lit another cigarette. She leaned against the doorframe just after she took her first drag and noticed an unfamiliar car in her town. She strained to see who it could be and didn't recognize the man in the driver's seat, though she wished she knew him. _He's gorgeous. Young, blonde, tortured. My favorite kind! _She watched the black SUV slip out of town. She wondered who he could be when she put it together that he came from the direction of the Gilmore residence. After all, she _did_ have a right to know who was in _her_ town. The only person she could think of that might have a visitor was Rory Gilmore- maybe a _friend _from New York- but Miss Patty didn't really think so. It was common knowledge that Rory wasn't seeing anyone. In fact she thought she remembered Rory having a particularly difficult time with a break up the previous year.

Well, Miss Patty wasn't Miss Patty for nothing, and she knew something was up.

LLG + LEH

The next morning, the morning that Rory was heading back to the City and back to work, she and Lorelai stopped in at Luke's for their traditional morning coffee and doughnuts. Midway through breakfast Rory and Lorelai noticed Miss Patty and Babette talking quickly and excitedly among themselves- as they always did- but every few moments one or both of them would steal a glance at Rory.

Rory didn't know what was going on, but she did know she had to get going. "You know, mom, you can eat your doughnut as slow as you want, but I have to get ho-, I mean, back to the City whether you're finished or not, and you _know _it's killing you to eat it that slowly."

Lorelai rolled her eyes in a sort of surrender and finished her pastry in two bites.

The Gilmore Girls stood up after draining their coffee cups and Rory hugged Luke goodbye. Lorelai told him she would be back in for more coffee and doughnuts after she walked Rory out.

Miss Patty motioned to Babette when she noticed Rory moving toward the door. Neither woman wanted to miss the opportunity to find out who the man was so Babette called out to Rory from across the diner. "Who's got the shiny black SUV, Doll? I'll bet he's handsome, right?"

Rory didn't know what she was talking about chalked it up to another one of Babette's crazy outbursts, so Rory just stared back assuming Babette got her mixed up with someone else… but Patty didn't allow her to get away so easily. "You know, from last night? He's got that blonde hair that goes every which way and dark, dark eyes. Such a pretty face, too. I could just eat him up!" She elbowed Babette, who nodded in total agreement.

Then it donned on Rory. She had a very good idea of who it could have been; however she also couldn't let Babette or Miss Patty know anything, so she just feigned ignorance. Lorelai picked up on the situation and linked her arm with Rory's "Uh, ya know, Miss Patty, Babette we have to…uh… go. Umm, it's Paul Anka, the dog, the dog Paul Anka, not the real one, ha! Um, And- Uh, he got stuck…on a…slip n slide, and then…the flowers." Rory shared a look with her mom, so Lorelai wrapped it up, "And now flowers, the flower bed, you know? So…we gotta go." The Gilmore Girls tried to get out of the diner as fast as they could, but ended up mostly tripping over each other all the way to the door and down the stairs.

When they were both on solid ground and had reinstated their truce with gravity, Lorelai, who didn't miss a beat, grew concerned at her daughter's sudden withdrawal. "You ok, Ror? Did you see him?"

Rory folded her arms across her chest and jingled her keys. "No, I had no idea he was even in town. Maybe he was visiting Shira for Christmas. I'm sure he's gone now. I have no idea why he would have been here… It probably wasn't even him." She shrugged off the situation in hopes of showing her mother that this development didn't really affect her all that much.

Lorelai remembered Logan's persistence over the rough times in his relationship with Rory and did not dismiss the gesture as easily as her daughter- and at the same time Lorelai didn't really believe Rory's show of nonchalance anyway. Lorelai could tell that Rory was acting funny, awkward, and even uncomfortable. Lorelai was certain that it bothered Rory much more that she let on.

But before Lorelai could pry anything out of her daughter, Rory wrapped her arms around Lorelai and hurried around to the driver's side door. "Bye Mom. Thanks for a great Christmas." Her statement lacked enthusiasm and her voice gave away her heavy heart, but she got in her car and started the engine.

Lorelai gave a half-hearted wave and Rory drove off, back to New York, back to work, and back to life, once again, without Logan.


	6. Chapter 6 Eye to Eye

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(Eye to Eye)**

Rory spent the drive home analyzing the morning's events and going back and forth from insane curiosity to absolute frustration. _If Logan really did go out of his way to drive through Stars Hollow last night why didn't he bother to talk to me!_ After unpacking and throwing in a load of laundry she still couldn't get back to even, so she called Jill and Kim to go out that night. She only vented her same thoughts over and over to the girls, but in the end they agreed that there was no definitive way to know if Logan really did drive by Stars Hollow. Again and again they told her not to dwell on trying to understand. Rory sighed and traced her finger around the rim of her glass. She really was grateful for their feedback; but it was difficult to really take it to heart since they'd never really known Logan or the flow of their relationship- despite how much they talked about Yale, Logan, and everything else.

Rory made herself go back to work the very next day. She knew she could use a day to regroup and get herself back together, but that would mean giving the idea of Logan way too much power in her life. She was past that. Rory had worked so hard and she had succeeded. There was no way she was going to let him affect her- especially when he _wasn't even there. _But still, it was hard. She, however, masterfully maintained the look and feel of status quo for her colleagues and even for her friends; though part of her wanted to entertain the idea that maybe he _had_ finally come for her.

LLG + LEH

"Do I _really_ have to go to this party tonight?" Rory dropped her face into her hands and shook her head.

Kimberly brushed a piece of Rory's hair back over her shoulder. "Yeah, honey. I think ya do. Boss' orders." Rory looked up at Kimmy and then to Jill before letting out a sigh of resignation.

"And you're sure you can't come with me? I _have_ to go alone?"

Kim and Jill shared a look and then Jill fielded the question. "I know. It would be so much fun to go to the gala with you, but you know we can't cancel our plans. We made them months ago- you only got out of them because you _have_ to go to this for work."

Rory looked at Jill pleading for a different answer. "I know. I'm just not a huge party girl and I'm not even going to know anyone there. It'll be awkward and I'll have to make small talk with total strangers the whole time! I might not even make it until midnight!"

"Ror, c'mon! You _have_ to stay until midnight! It's New Year's Eve! It's _the_ night to party! And remember, you're there as the representative of the New York Progress, so _that's _what you can talk about. Everyone there is going to be all about networking anyway. You love to work, you love to _talk about _work so actually, this is _perfect_ for you." Jill paused and let her voice trail off just a little. "It's just that tonight you get to do it in a cocktail dress, instead of a suit." The sort of logic she dished out made just enough sense to Rory. She wasn't counting down the minutes till the party or anything like that, but she'd come accept the fact that she had to attend so she might as well stop complaining. _And who knows? It might not be terrible._

Kimberly chimed in with some more silver lining. "Yeah, and you don't even have to stay the afternoon at work. Remember, the Boss-man said you could have the afternoon off since you're working tonight!"

Rory rolled her eyes. She liked her job, and taking the afternoon off wasn't much of a consolation after being assigned to go to the party.

Kim tried another approach. "Listen, what are you wearing tonight?"

"I don't know. I'm sure I have something in my closet that'll work for a New Year's party. I'll figure it out later."

"If you do that, I'm sure you'll look great, but how much more fun would it be to go in a _brand new_ dress?"

Rory sighed, slightly exasperated. _Can't my friends just allow me to dread the night in peace?_ She looked back at Kimberly. "What?"

Kim gave her an over-excited smile. "_Yeah_, think about it. You should go and get yourself something _amazing_ to wear!"

Rory rolled her eyes but started to nod anyway. Her friends liked parties too much to understand her position. As the excitement of her friends grew, her own dread reemerged, but she didn't want to talk about it any longer. She said the only think she could think of to make them stop. "Ok. I guess it doesn't have to be horrible." Rory wasn't sure she actually believed that, but it was what she had to give at the time.

After they finished their lunch, Rory walked with the girls back to their office building, but instead of going up to the office she hugged Kim and Jill goodbye and wished them a Happy New Year. A few moments later, Rory was in her car and on her way toward Fifth Avenue.

She left her Prius with the valet and took some time to wander and window shop along Madison near 57th. She really only went shopping to appease her friends and waste some time. She knew she could easily find something appropriate in her closet, so she didn't really intend to look long enough or hard enough to find something she would love. She shopped those stores and boutiques often enough to know the ladies inside would recognize her and insist she try on the new lines. That day she wouldn't buy unless she happened to spot something she _loved_.

After a short time shopper's fatigue had begun to set in and she hadn't found anything to her taste on the one side of the street, so she decided to take a round-about way back to her car just in case there was anything she may have missed. At first Rory followed the street toward Fifth until she found herself stopped in front of Bergdorf Goodman, unexpectedly mesmerized by the window display. It grabbed her attention. It was as if she were Holly Golightly peering in at the displays at Tiffany- until she remembered she could pick up the gown and then shop for accessories at the jewelry store, if she wanted. Rory studied the gown closely through the window once more. She figured she would probably end up buying it, but also that it didn't need any more accessory than her own white sapphire drop earrings- anything more would detract.

Inside, Rory was greeted by the usual staff, and Marie- one of her favorites- brought the deep violet gown to Rory for her perusal. Rory brushed her fingers over the purple and silver beading on the bodice and then fingered the silk chiffon that made up the skirt. It was an empire waist, which wasn't exactly Rory's favorite; but she had a feeling that with that dress, she could overlook the detail. "I had the original put in the dressing room for you. I think this one was made for you, Ms. Gilmore."

Rory smiled at Marie and dropped her hand once she realized she was still twirling the silk between her fingers. "Thank you, Marie. But you'll be honest if you don't think it suits me, right?"

"Of course, but I wouldn't worry."

Rory let Marie take her overcoat and purse and then smiled again in thanks before she turned to try on the gown. Once she was in her own fitting compartment she hung up her suit jacket and began to unbutton her dress shirt. After just a button or two, she couldn't wait any longer and unzipped the garment bag holding the dress, _her dress._ She pushed the bag to the back and took a moment to study the intricate design of the strapless sweetheart-shaped top. The ruched crisscross detail over bust contrasted with the beading in a way that was truly eye-catching. She finished undressing and slipped on the dress. It felt like Heaven against her skin.

"Ms. Gilmore?" Marie knocked lightly on the door twice. "What do you think?"

Rory pulled back the curtain. "Perfect timing. Rory spun around to put her back to Marie. "Can you help zip me up, please?"

Rory could hear the smile in Marie's voice. Of course. I brought you something too. Rory turned back around and looked at Marie's offering. Her eyes lit up.

"They're the new Christian Louboutin patent leather slingback bow pumps. I thought black would be best. They don't come in silver and I thought violet would be too much."

Rory's gaze lingered on the shoes and reached out to finger the shiny leather . "No! They're beautiful! Thank you."

"And speaking of 'beautiful' Ms. Gilmore, have you seen yourself?"

Rory turned around to look at the mirror. She certainly _felt_ good in the dress. The beading made the bodice feel secure, and the silk chiffon was soft and felt almost like it was dancing off her legs when she moved. The view wasn't half-bad either, if she could say so. The dark purple contrasted so nicely with her pale skin in a similar way to when she wore blue. "I like it…" Her hands swept down her sides feeling the soft material as she went. "…_very_ much".

"Now try on the shoes and tell me what you think." Marie put the shoes on the ground and Rory stepped into them. She was pleased.

"Ok, Marie. Be honest."

"I've told you before, Ms. Gilmore, you can pick dresses like few others I know. It's a good fit for you." Marie gently adjusted the material just under Rory's bust. "It's empire waist, which I know you don't particularly care for, but I don't know, the beading goes down just enough that the design kind of makes it hold true to your form better. I think it's truly lovely. Does it feel comfortable?" Rory nodded. "And the shoes? Do you think they go?"

"Mmhm. I love them." She picked up the layers of chiffon with two fingers and poked her heeled-foot out from under the fabric to show off the shoe. "I think they work". Rory described her earrings to Marie and they agreed that they would go well and that with the beading and that no other accessories were necessary.

Once Rory changed out of the dress she handed the garment and the shoes back to Marie and asked her to choose a clutch that would complement the ensemble. After Rory paid for her items, thanked Marie for her help and decided to take her new items home, rather than have them delivered, since she didn't have any other errands.

At home, Rory hung the garment back from the hook above the full-length mirror in her walk-in closet and allowed herself a good sigh. Her friends were right; the dress and shoes did make her feel a little better about that evening. Rory changed into yoga pants and a sweatshirt and then walked back out to the living room. As she collapsed into her comfy couch she buried her head against the cushions and went right back to dreading the night. No matter which way she looked at the situation, she just didn't get excited about having to make shop talk all night with perfect strangers before ringing in the New Year with the lot. The pep talk Jill and Kimberly gave her just hours before seemed so far from her mind.

The cushions under and all around her made her feel cozy in a way she didn't anticipate feeling at all that day and Rory slipped into nap without another thought of anything at all.

LEH + LLG

She sat in the back of the back of the company limousine while the driver maneuvered through the City. She checked her makeup one last time. Rory hadn't planned on taking a nap that afternoon and woke later than she would have liked, but she managed to finish getting ready just before the car picked her up.

Rory shook her head. New Year's Eve was never really that big of a deal to her. Of course, she would have preferred to stay at home with a good book sipping coffee and going to bed early, and even going out with Jill and Kimmy would have been alright; however, this was a work night. The event called for the gathering of the leading staff at all local newspapers and publishing companies to spend the night together and network to further their organizations- not to mention their careers- all under the guise of a New Year's Eve Celebration. She had no choice but to attend-though her new dress did make her feel better about it. Rory couldn't stop touching the soft material of the skirt. She'd decided to wear her hair long, wavy, and pinned off to the side. That way, if the night itself was a total disaster, at least she knew she looked good.

In her last moments before she had to exit the car, Rory finally allowed herself to wonder about the guest list that evening- more specifically if a certain blonde with possible ties to a certain publishing company would be in attendance. She had a feeling that if Logan _had_ taken his place as heir after Mitchum passed away there was a good chance he would be there too. She hoped that wasn't the case. With the drama right after Christmas, and knowing she had just gotten back on her feet, seeing him would surely undo all of her progress thus far. Which reminded her about her other frustration with the event: she had no date, no companion- it was the major thorn in her side about the whole thing from the beginning. Rory had even made one more last-ditch effort as she was getting ready and called, or rather _begged_, her mom to come with her. But Lorelai whined right back to Rory. She had finally convinced Luke to attend a different New Year's party just that day and couldn't cancel, so Rory was forced to make her entrance all by herself.

LLG + LEH

That same night a black town car pulled up to the home Honor and Josh shared. Logan got out and rang the doorbell. Honor invited him in and kissed her brother on the cheek. "Hi brother. I'm all ready, I just have to go say bye to Josh and make sure he has everything he needs."

After a few minutes they were on their way. "Listen, Honor. Thanks for coming with me to this thing. I probably would have ditched if I didn't have you tonight."

Honor eyed her bother. "Logan, but you have to attend. You couldn't have just _not_ come."

"Well, then it's a good thing you're coming with." He quipped back and threw a playful wink at his sister.

Honor roller her eyes but dropped her hand on Logan's shoulder. "Seriously though, brother, I'm glad to go with you. Besides, Josh is sick and will only spend the night sleeping, so it's good that I have _some_ plans tonight of all nights."

He chuckled at his sister and leaned back in his seat. "Well, then I'm glad I could be of service, or rather work could be of service. Oh, and we're still good on our pact from like way back when, right? I'll come save you if you get cornered and-"

"-And I'll do the same for you. We'll make it as painless as possible; you might even enjoy yourself, a little." She sent an elbow into her little brother's side only to earn herself a roll of his eyes that time. He knew all too well…

The brother-sister pair arrived at the party at the same time as most of the other guests. Logan immediately went to get their first round as he was sure they would need to start early if they planned to make it through the night. Honor scanned the ballroom and made a mental note of the other attendees and the location of all the exits. The practice had often proved useful at past society events.

Satisfied with the set up of the party, and after greeting some acquaintances, Honor became to make her way back to her brother when a blur of something, or some_one_ so familiar stopped her right there. Honor's jaw dropped and a pair of big blue eyes stared right back at her. A split second after the recognition was made, huge grins adorned each face. "Rory! Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! It's been SO long!" Honor squealed as she and Rory hugged each other.

For the first time that night, Rory smiled a genuine smile. She had always hoped to spend more time with Honor- since the beginning of her relationship with Logan. Rory felt like she and Honor just clicked. " Honor! Yeah! It's _really_ good to see you! How are you? How's Josh and _married life_?"

Neither woman could stop smiling at seeing each other again, a picture of two old friends unexpectedly reunited. "Oh, it's great, he's great. Actually he's a bit under the weather right now and couldn't come tonight, but it's just a cold. He'll be better soon. What about _you_? You must be working in media if you're here, right?"

"Umm, yeah." Rory confirmed as she nervously fingered the seam at her side. "I'm a writer at a small paper here in New York."

"That's, _so_ great, Rory. That's what you always wanted to do. I remember Logan showed me some of your stuff from Yale. You're _such_ a good writer!"

"Oh! Thank you!"

Honor's expression became a touch more serious as linked her arm in Rory's and started walking them toward the other end of the ballroom. "Listen, Rory, I don't know if you've talked to my brother at all, but I just wanted to let you know that he's here so you don't get caught off-guard if you see him around." Rory's expression grew thoughtful, like she was internally analyzing something. Honor continued talking like she hadn't noticed anything at all. "I came with him. I'm really sorry if approaching you tonight wasn't ok. I don't want to put you in an awkward spot; I just missed you and wanted to catch up a bit. I hope that's ok."

Rory stopped and turned to face the blonde, "Honor! Of _course _it's ok!" Rory exclaimed. "It's nice of you to let me know that he's here, but I am really _so _glad you found me!" Rory squeezed honor's hands. "It _has_ been a long time and I'm glad to know you're doing well. We are old friends but I don't think I'm ready to see Logan, so if you could not tell him I was here…."

Honor nodded and made a motion as if she were locking her lips with a key, still smiling at the brunette.

Rory gave a weaker smile and a half shrug. She glanced down at the floor for a moment before her eyes returned to Honor. "I actually think I am just going to head home. I don't want any drama tonight. You were the first person I've seen here that I know anyway, and you really should get back to Logan. He's probably cornered somewhere and in need of a save." She motioned around the room to wherever Logan might be.

"I totally understand, Rory- and you're right; I probably should get back to Logan."

Rory pulled Honor into a hug to say goodbye. "It was really good to see you, though. We should get coffee sometime. Do you still have my number?"

"Yup, I do. I'll call you! And don't worry; I won't tell Logan that we ran into each other... and if you go through those doors there and down the hall you can slip away without having to exit out the front." Honor pointed to the far corner of the Ballroom where two French doors stood waiting to take Rory to the quiet safety she hoped to find in the avoidance of Honor's brother.

"Thanks." Rory said with a relieved smile. The two women hugged each other once more. Honor turned back to the party and Rory tuned to leave.

She maneuvered her way through the maze of tables surrounding the dance floor, her focus solely on the doors, behind her, when a low, ragged voice suddenly stopped her in her tracks. "Rory." She felt like the wind had been taken out of her yet she could hear him breathing deeply behind her. "Rory, dance with me."

She still couldn't breathe, and she couldn't move. She stood there, his words playing over and over again in her mind. He sounded almost desperate, like if she denied him he would die. That voice, it had haunted her since she left Yale. She wanted to turn and face him so badly, but she just… couldn't. She was afraid. Yet, after what may have been a small eternity she found the strength to turn and look at him. There he stood, in all his tux-wearing glory with his hand outstretched to _her_. Her breath caught; she was paralyzed again- glued to that spot.

He was so handsome. He looked like an older, more mature version of the beautiful man she had once known so well. She felt her blush come up through her neck and then overtake her face. He was standing right there looking at her, wanting to dance with _her_ after _so long_. His eyes, knowing, _knowing her, _bore into her, already so confident she wouldn't refuse him. The moment was almost too much for her to comprehend. Her eyes, wide open even bigger than usual, moved back and forth searching for something, _anything_ to distract her from him- who still waited for an official answer. She studied the ceiling behind his head and then the floor, and after that the people standing near the bar before her eyes finally dared to meet his.

And she saw into him.

She couldn't look away. He captivated her, just as she captivated him the moment his eyes had fixated on her while she spoke with his sister. She had looked so happy; she shone. From the moment he saw Rory, Logan moved toward her with stealth-so not to scare her and speed- so not to lose her. He'd not been more than four steps behind her since she hugged Honor goodbye and he _had _to stop her, he had to see her, talk with her, be with her, dance with her, hold her.

He took her focused attention as permission enough. Not daring to break their eye contact, he reached for her hand and took the clutch from it and placed the purse on the table next to them. Once he knew she wouldn't object, Logan took one of her hands in his and placed the other on the small of her back guiding her to the dance floor like he had all the right in the world to lead her there. Rory, on the other hand wasn't so concerned with their destination, as she was struggling to use all of her concentration just to make sure her legs moved and her feet kept walking all while she _felt_ cemented to the floor.

Logan whispered into her ear all while moving her to the center of the room. "Rory, you look beautiful." He received no reply, but she did look like she was thinking- maybe processing? He took another approach with a little more potential for conversation, "…And… thanks for the flowers you sent after my father passed away. They meant a lot to me." At that he felt her tense. That confirmed it; she had sent them, she had been thinking about him. …But, again, she offered no other communication. Her eyes remained locked on his and she kept walking with him. At the moment, that was enough for Logan.

While she looked utterly composed on the outside, inside chaos wreaked havoc on Rory's mind. _What am I supposed to say, do? What is he expecting? Why is he here, talking to me? Why didn't he just let me leave! How can he just lead me toward the dance floor like this? Do I want to dance with him? Of course I want to dance with him. _There was no peace inside of her. Her nerves went crazy. _He can probably feel how much I'm shaking!_ And it wasn't that she didn't _want_ to respond to his questions or talk to him; she couldn't. Her mind couldn't think of anything intelligent to say. He was there, touching her, talking to her, looking at her. She was so nervous, scared, confused, happy, safe, excited. And if she understood the emotion she saw playing in his eyes, he still cared for her. It overwhelmed her.

Once he found an open place on the dance floor, Logan pulled Rory closer to him to dance. Though he held one of her hands and her other rested over his shoulder, he pressed his flat palm into her back, like he just had to feel her under his hands. After everything he'd gone through and all the time that had passed, he almost couldn't believe she was in his arms again- and better yet she wasn't pulling away.

Neither of them said anything, but they danced song after song together in perfect synchronization, like they were made to move together. Neither broke their hold on the other and neither dared to break the eye contact that spoke more truth than words ever could. The chemistry that had always connected the two had never left and there was no possible way either of them could disregard it right there, in that place. At some point her arm slid up his shoulder so her hand came to rest on the back of his neck; just as he'd unwittingly pulled her closer to himself when he brought their clasped hands to rest on his heart. There were no smiles, but both were completely enraptured in one another- their eyes locked on the only other pair of eyes that mattered.

From a small distance away Honor watched her brother dance with the woman who had kept hold of his heart for years. They danced like they were oblivious to the rest of the party, to the rest of the world. She smiled at the scene and tears gathered in her eyes at the sight of the couple. She knew that the picture before her illustrated all the things right in their lives. Those two had magic between them.

Rory floated on clouds. Her eyes couldn't be torn from his; and his welcomed her so much so that there was a pleading in Logan's stare that she couldn't fully comprehend. All she understood was their begging her to stay, to see deep into him, to _know_ why needed her. His arm around her, holding her so carefully, illustrated his care for her, his desire to feel her always. Logan moved to pull her even closer still.

And something inside Rory snapped.

She came to her senses and remembered who she was dealing with.

_This can't be. Not now._

_I can't stay here and dance with him, he'll suck me back in and I'm not ready. I'm not ready to deal with all that Logan Huntzberger requires when he's in my life. I'm not ready to deal with him. He didn't come after me when I waited for him. I waited. And now, I'm finally happy with my life! It took a long time, but I am! Logan Huntzberger is not a part of my life anymore; and it's not fair that he comes, well, literally waltzing back into my life as soon as I find a sort of happiness and success without him. I can't do it. No!_

In one step she pulled away from him and only when there was no physical contact between the two did she allow herself to look away from him. A half a second later she tore her eyes from Logan's, turned on her heel, and made her way out the front doors.

Logan stood there stunned. _What just happened?_ It took him only a moment to realize she had actually run away from him and he ran after her. He tried to keep his eyes on her, but she got lost in the sea of people just as she got to the door. He was only a second after her; _she couldn't have gotten away that quickly, could she?_ He ran a block down the street in each direction and scanned the street and sidewalks for her. And then he stopped looking. She was gone. He had her for only a few brief moments, but she was gone again. He stood on the steps staring into the street, willing her to come back to him. But she didn't.

Truly defeated, he shoved his hands into his pockets, took one last glance around, and sighed. With his head hung low, he walked back inside, found his sister, and they both walked silently out to the car.

Logan leaned his head back onto his headrest. He was lost, scared, and tired. Honor told the driver to go to Logan's place instead of dropping her off first. She had to see to Logan and be the sister he needed that night.

While Honor helped him out of his coat and hung it up for him, he automatically moved across the room to the wet bar and poured each of them a drink. Honor got out the monopoly and they simply played right up until midnight like they had done when they were children. They didn't talk about what happened because they both knew he needed to process it by himself before they worked through any of it.

A little after midnight Honor kissed her brother's cheek and wished him a happy New Year before she went down to the car. Logan sighed as he stood at the window and watched his sister get into the car and tell the driver to take her home. Honor got to go home to a man who loved his sister and whom his sister loved back. That was a beautiful thought and he knew he wanted that too. After standing there for a while, long after Honor left, thinking about the night and replaying the events over and over in his mind, trying to figure out what went wrong; he came to no conclusions and absent-mindedly got into his cold, lonely bed.

That night was a restless night for Logan. Rory invaded his thoughts while he was awake and his dreams while he slept. When his alarm went off the next morning he woke to find his arms grasping a pillow, holding it to his chest.

LLG + LEH

Once Rory had safely descended the stairs outside the event venue she looked up the street hoping she could see a taxi to flag down. She didn't have time to call the limo. To her relief, a cab had just pulled up right in front of her. She threw herself inside and muttered her address to the driver.

For a brief moment she thought of calling Lorelai, but thought better of it when she remembered that Lorelai was already out at a party; and anyway, her problem was purely personal. _Definitely no need to call Lorelai._ Then there were Kimberly and Jill. They were out too. _Maybe I'll join them? _ She pondered that scenario for a minute, but then realized that if she showed up they would demand to know why she wasn't still at the Journalism Gala, and then the thing with Logan would come out, and then they would want to know the details, and _then_ the girls would try to convince her to look Logan up and deal with the whole mess… and _that_ she just wasn't willing to do. _Maybe it's best to simply keep this whole thing to myself. It's personal. No need to tell anyone about it at all. What's the use in making drama? We have enough of that as it is. Besides, the whole reason I left him tonight is because_ I don't want to be with him. _So, I _should_ just leave it at that._

She could hardly wait to get home- to the safety of her own apartment- where nothing could take her by surprise and no charming men would make her lose her senses. She couldn't deny that dancing with Logan again had been wonderful; but she couldn't have that, she couldn't have _him_ anymore. He wasn't in her life, and it needed to stay that way- for her sanity. Logan had no idea what she'd gone through in the previous year and half and there was no way she would ever make it through such a hollow existence again- it very nearly broke her the first time.

_Logan Huntzberger has to stay far away from me._ That's as far as she allowed her mind to wander. She halted all thoughts and instead concentrated on each turn, lane change, and traffic light on the way back to her building.

She felt the overwhelming sense of pain and darkness beginning to overtake her in the elevator up to her floor, but somehow managed to keep it at bay until she stepped into her home and leaned against the door to close it with a hard thump behind her.

Rory slid down the door until she hit the hard floor. She didn't care that her beautiful new gown was being wrinkled and twisted into a hopeless mess. Or that her legs would fall asleep bent under her in such a contorted fashion. Or that her new shoes made it impossible for her to sit comfortably. At that moment the gravity of the evening hit her harder and heavier than ever before. It was just _more, infinitely more_. The pain wrenched her chest so hard it was like being swallowed up inside a deep black wave of something she couldn't escape. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She could hardly breathe. She didn't bow her head. She didn't close her eyes. She didn't move. She just was. In the dark. Alone. Utterly alone.


	7. Chapter 7 Good Old Friends

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(Good Old Friends)**

She woke sometime the next morning in a heap of violet material and long brown curls. The hard floor made her side hurt with a physical pain she found trivial. One of her heels dug into her back, which she hardly noticed; and the other was several feet away from her body. She almost laughed at herself, but she just couldn't. It was too unfunny.

She could see the sky was an overcast light gray. There wouldn't be snow that day, but it was going to be ugly either way. And then she realized she was cold. Very cold. Her lovely creamy skin was riddled with goose bumps and she just couldn't stop shivering. Rory tried to stand up, but tripped over her gown before she finally righted herself and wobbled to the bathroom. Her head split as if she'd ravaged the bar, but she'd only begun one flute of champagne the night before. Once she made it to the bathroom and saw her face, she knew why her head hurt. She'd cried in her sleep, cried hard from the looks of the blackened tear-tracks down her face.

The shower couldn't be shower hot enough. The air with thick with steam but she didn't care. She didn't feel like breathing anyway. Her flesh had turned bright pink from the searing water pounding on her skin and, again, she sank to the ground. Her bowed head allowed her hair to create a shield around her face that got heavy under the weight of the water mingled in her long locks. Rory hugged her knees against her chest and rested her forehead on them for support and the next thing she knew she was cold again. She wondered how long she sat there huddled under the spray, but obviously it'd been quite a while and for a few moments she stayed there allowing the still-harsh spray of the shower to throw freezing cold water down onto her body; and that time she did laugh. It was all so absurd.

She found a pair of towels and wrapped her soaking hair in one and her again-shivering-body in the other. Rory searched her closet for the warmest clothes she could find and then found her bed. _This time I'll give myself the day to wallow. But that's it. After this, it's back to the real world where Logan doesn't exist and I. Am. Strong._

She tried, she tried very hard to be strong and confident and all the things she was _supposed _to be, but when Rory was honest with herself, she was miserable in New York. Work was going as well as could be expected, but other than that, and her almost daily talks with her mom, she had little else in her life. Jill and Kimberly couldn't even offer any comfort because Rory wouldn't tell them that she ran into Logan.

In Rory's mind, it was complicated. Of course she missed Logan, but she refused to act on her feelings. As far as she was concerned he had left her in Stars Hollow, and in that had made it very clear that he didn't want her in his life for _whatever_ reason. _Happening_ to run into her at a function did not mean that she would come back to him. She just _couldn't_- and besides, he made no effort to see her that night. It was purely happenstance that they attended the same party. The difference was that when he had a choice to see her or not, he chose not. That was her bottom line.

LLG + LEH

As the days rolled on it did get easier. She first noticed it when she was finally able to focus on her work without thoughts of Logan mixed in with her research notes and edits. Later she found herself not thinking of Logan while she went out with Kim and Jill. It took the longest for him to disappear when she was at home. She could just imagine him in her apartment…but after enough time, he faded there too.

She had her wonderful memories with Logan and remembered that no matter how hard it was to forget him, it would get better and better, and then eventually she would move on. Her solace was to remember her life and how far she'd already come. Rory just hated having to start the whole process over again after just a few dances. The affect he had on her simply wasn't fair. But of course her manta rang true again. _I'm young and smart and capable, and I will find a way to deal._

Still… Rory didn't forget the comments Babette and Miss Patty made at Luke's after Christmas. If Logan had been the one to come to Stars Hollow that night, it showed he _had_ made an effort after all. _What did he want, why did he want to see me? Was it just fate that I saw him only a week later? Did he mean to stop by my house in Stars Hollow? If he did, why didn't he actually come to the door?_

And other times she remembered Logan's voice asking her- no, telling her to dance with him, which triggered another flood of memories: from the feeling of his hand pressed into her back to the earnestness with which his eyes pled with her to _see_ him.

…And sooner or later, like clockwork, she would shake her head and tell herself to put him out of her mind. Of course that wasn't very effective, but it was really all she had. Rory worked and lived and spent time with her friends and got to the place where she was generally happy, but it was never the same.

LLG + LEH

On a day in early spring a few months after Logan may or may not have come to Stars Hollow, and their New Years Eve dance, Rory took an afternoon to update her wardrobe for the new season. She'd been quite productive and remembered one of her favorite coffee shops was around the corner- so she did what any good Gilmore Girl would do and took the most direct route to the coffee.

She never tired of the glorious anticipation that came from looking forward to a really good cup of coffee. Rory looked over the menu as she stood in line and drifted off into her own little world mentally savoring all of the options to help her decide what to order. Her eyes even fell closed as the tastes she recalled with such ease flooded back to her taste buds. And while Rory did what she did best, everyone else in the coffee shop looked toward the door at the loud man who had just swaggered inside. He exclaimed, "Un-bloody-believable! No, it can't be! I don't believe my eyes." He clutched his friend's shirt and pretended to rub his eyes with it to clear his vision. Rory thought she heard a voice, but wasn't paying enough attention to her surroundings for it to register that all the commotion was directed toward _her_.

The other man, also clearly and pleasantly surprised, affirmed what his friend already knew. "Oh, my God! It _is_! It's _her_!" With a bit of a gleam in his eye, he quietly addressed the first man. "What do you think we should do? Should we go somewhere else? I never thought we'd see her again."

The first voice chimed in as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against an imaginary post, "I know, Mate, do you think she'll remember us?"

"Finn, I think she'd remember us." The first man said- clearly annoyed with his friend. "Let's just go say 'hi' and see what happens. Be cool about it."

"Alright Mate!" He focused on the object of their fascination and gave a bit of a squeal. "LOVE! RORY my _darling_!" Finn boomed as he literally pranced across the store to Rory who'd neither seen nor heard either of them. Finn scooped the brunette up into his arms and hugged her tight swinging his body, and her, back and forth in an over-the-top show of familiarity and affection.

Rory didn't know _what _was going on, but _was_ about to scream at this person who felt he had the right to nearly knock her over and then maul her as he desired! She fumed and did her utmost to push him away until the perpetrator let go and took hold of her shoulders. He held her at arm's length and made a show of looking her up and down with a wickedly fun gleam in his eye.

As soon as she saw the man's face, Rory's smile could have lit up all of New York as she recognized the man standing in front of her. "Finn! Finn, it was you! Of _course_ it was you!"

The man grinned back at her, just as glad to see her as she was to see him. "Do a little spin for us, won't you, Love?" He motioned with his finger what he wanted her to do. She obliged and spun quickly, obviously slightly embarrassed. "She looks, well, doesn't she?"

Before Rory could see who Finn was talking to, Colin responded in utter sincerity. "Yes, Rory looks beautiful just like she always did." He spoke with a smile and a slight nod of the head.

Rory's smiling eyes went from Finn who was still holding her shoulders to the man who'd joined them. "Colin! You're here too! It's so good to see you!" Her eyes moved back and forth from man to man, drinking in her old friends. They were a sight for her sore eyes and a glimpse back to wonderful memories of what seemed like another life. The moment Finn finally released her she flew into Colin's arms. "How are you, Colin?"

"Well, really well." He answered before he released her from his embrace. Once Colin let go of Rory Finn replaced his arm around her shoulders like he just didn't want her to go anywhere and Colin filled Rory in on a little of what was going on in his life. "I decided on law school after Yale and somehow I'm also working at _Daddy Dearest's_ law firm just a few blocks from here, actually. He's showing me the ropes, but I don't hate it, surprise, surprise. I do fairly well."

"That's_ so_ great, Colin. I'm happy for you!" She exclaimed still beaming at both men. She could barely contain her excitement at seeing her old friends again!

Finn, who wasn't one to allow another person have the limelight for long, interrupted to bring the attention right back to him. "Yes, Colin's doing fine, whatever _boring lawyer blah blah blah;_ but _I_, my dear, am writing a _book_! I don't yet know what it will be called or what it will be about, but it's going to be _fabulous_!" Finn clasped his hands in front of his chest and looked off into the distance in a bit of a daydream before he brought himself out of his reverie. "I'm very excited about it! You will read it for me, won't you, Love?"

Rory, not quite sure what he was talking about, loved his classic 'Finn-ness' and gladly agreed. "Of course, Finn; I'd love to read it. Let me know when you're done! Have you even started it?"

The Australian flung his arm back around Rory's shoulders. "Of course not. Who can sit down to write when there's always so much to do?"

Rory rolled her eyes and expected Colin to chime in as he so often had amusing commentary on Finn, but instead it was the Australian who caught her attention again. "So, my darling, what's your pleasure?"

Only then did Rory notice that she was next in line, and that Finn thought he was buying her coffee. "No, Finn. That's alright, I can get my own."

"No, Love, not while I'm around. Colin would do the same. Right, Mate?"

"Yeah. Rory, either Finn or I will buy your coffee, not you, you know the drill. Who's it gonna be?"

Finn didn't allow Rory to answer. "Let's have Colin buy today. That way we can get to the table first and I can take the place next to you!" Rory laughed and shook her head, as did Colin, but Finn went ahead and ordered. Apparently he hadn't been joking. Rory ordered next and then Finn promptly took her elbow and led her away from the counter.

Colin joined them at their booth a few moments later and noticed the empty space intended for him across from Rory while Finn did, indeed, occupy the space next to the pretty brunette. Their coffee shop meeting was low-key and felt completely natural for the three of them to talk, and laugh, and reminisce on their college days at Yale. The two men caught Rory up on their post university adventures and she, in turn, told them about her time on the campaign trail and her current job. They were pleased to hear that she enjoyed her new work and to see that she was doing well. They were especially interested in her two friends she mentioned, Jill and Kimberly. Rory held off any ideas they might choose to entertain concerning her two girlfriends when she told them she didn't think the five of them getting together was a good idea. She knew her girlfriends and she knew these men. It was definitely better to keep them separate.

After too little time, Finn gave his regrets that they did have plans and had to take their leave. Though none of them gave it a voice, each wished they could all stay longer. The conversation was wonderfully pleasant and easy, and never once grew awkward though, by all logic, it should have. Rory was, again, reminded of how fun it was to spend time with those two and she wished she hadn't missed it the last few years.

The three of them left the coffee shop. The men each held Rory in a long hug goodbye. They agreed that they would call to catch up again soon. Finn allowed something to catch his attention which left Colin and Rory with a few seconds together. The two shared a look. It was charged, full of emotion, but there was nothing damning from either of them and also nothing more than old friends sharing an unspoken thought- their common link, Logan. He was the reason they'd become friends in the first place, though both knew it would be best if he was not mentioned in their conversation. The situation was complicated and they left it there.

The two uttered goodbyes, but their eyes ensured that neither was brushing off their encounter that afternoon, rather saving it from the discomfort they'd avoided until just then. After their goodbyes they parted ways and Rory wondered if either Finn or Colin would tell Logan that they'd seen her. She suspected they would and that he would hear everything she had told them. She was glad she didn't mention her encounter with Logan and it seemed as if they hadn't heard about it from Logan either. Finn wouldn't have been able to keep that secret from her.

Colin's mind was a-whirl overanalyzing the events of the past hour. Rory was something special and her mere presence did something to the dynamic of their group. She was so missed- by everyone- but she didn't seem to understand that. _Always oblivious, Rory. _ Colin shook his head and caught up to Finn.

"So, Col, think Logan would be interested to know Ms. Gilmore's in New York?" Finn took a sip from his coffee cup.

"No! We are _not_ going to tell him that we saw her today, or ever! I honestly don't think the guy could take it. We are going to keep this between us." Colin caught Finn's glare out of the corner of his eye. "I mean it! Leave it alone, Finn."

The Australian stopped to admire a jacket in the window display next to them. "I don't know, Mate. These things have a way of slipping out, ya know?" And Finn stepped inside the store.

Colin couldn't believe what he heard and followed his friend inside. "No. No, _FINN, _these things have a way of getting locked inside forever and _not_ slipping out. I'm dead serious. Logan would go nuts." Finn gave Colin a look that showed that he obviously did not agree. "And you know we wouldn't see it, at first. He knows her like no one on the planet knows that girl, except _maybe_ her mom. He would know how to get a hold of her if he even just had an inkling that she was here. He. Cannot. Know."

Finn appeared to mull it over while he paid for the coat and was quiet for a while. Colin finally thought he'd made his point until he reached the door. "What about a little hint?"

"Finn!"

Once Rory parted ways with her old friends, she just had no interest in continuing to shop. Her mind was elsewhere so she returned to her apartment to meet her purchases, which would be delivered that evening. She put on a movie to distract herself, but Rory hardly paid attention to it. She decided that she wouldn't call Finn or Colin as promised- despite how much she enjoyed their afternoon together- and she hoped they wouldn't call her either. For her, they were a constant reminder of Logan. And sooner or later he would come up in a conversation. He was unavoidable. And, that would complicate her friendship with them and, in turn, their friendship with Logan. Besides, as joyous as they were, those minutes with her old friends forced her to re-live some amazing memories from the past and to wonder about him, to miss him, again. She had to push them out of her mind and hope they did the same with her.

LLG + LEH

The next Monday when she went into work she found a message waiting for her. The note stuck to her monitor simply asked her to meet with her editor as soon as she got in. She could see it was written by Joan, the Editor's Assistant. Rory plucked the paper square from her computer and took it to Joan.

She was immediately ushered into a strange, but exciting meeting. Essentially her editor told her that he was moving on to another paper and that she was to take over for him as the Editor in Chief at The Progress. He noted that there were other talented staff members, of course, but none with her combination of experience, dedication, or talent. He assured her he would train her before she left and didn't really give her the opportunity to decline the offer, but such a thought never even crossed her mind. She felt honored to be chosen.

Rory would be the youngest editor the town had ever seen and had completely, just about single-handedly turned that newspaper around. It was the kind of thing Rory had in mind for her future when she graduated from Yale! She couldn't wait to call… Log— Lorelai. Yes. She would call Lorelai to share the news. But she really wanted to call Logan. It was exactly the kind of thing she would've told him first. She wished she could. Rory knew what he would say to her and she could just hear his smile through the -unfair- praises he would shower on her- IF such a conversation would take place. But it wouldn't. Rory still smiled she dialed her mother. Lorelai would be excited for her too.

LLG + LEH

Only a few weeks later Rory took over as the Editor. There was no doubt she was great at her job. Everyone agreed that Rory deserved the promotion, but Rory didn't know that. She worked herself hard- some thought maybe a little too hard. She wanted there to never be a shadow of a doubt that she was the right person for the job.

And the paper grew.

The harder and longer Rory worked, the better their paper did. It made sense, but it was also too much too fast. The paper certainly thrived, but at the sacrifice of Rory's life, sleep, and she would sacrifice her health if she didn't slow down a little.

Jill and Kimberly watched their work-obsessed friend with new interest. They had always known she was passionate about a job well done, but this new 'Editor Rory' was in a class all her own. One morning Kimberly went out to pick up coffee for Rory and Jill as she often did. After leaving a cup in Rory's office she headed toward Jill's desk. Before either woman said anything Rory blew through the room saying good morning to everyone and giving a few notes to some of the writers. She gave some little edit to almost everyone- and was completely constructive with her criticism and even paused for a few questions from some of the writers- but Jill and Kim were amazed at the speed with which she got through the room. It was as if she was on overdrive all the time. Kim gave Jill a look and Jill widened her eyes and nodded. "Uh, _yeah._ Our girl's doing a hell of a job, but working way too much, way too hard."

Kim blew a long breath out. "She's going _overboard_."

"…And if she keeps this up she'll work herself into oblivion." Jill agreed.

Jill and Kimberly gave it a little thought and decided to watch Rory for a few weeks. They decided that as long as Rory didn't increase her workload any more they could let her keep going, but if she stayed any later any more nights a week, or took on any more projects at a time they would have to intervene. Rory really was doing great and the job really seemed to agree with her. They didn't want to take that from their friend, but they also wouldn't let Rory hurt herself over her work. And there had to be _something_ else driving Rory to such madness. Kim and Jill knew their friend and what they saw in her was more than a simple drive to be a great editor and leader. Something somewhere inside her was driving her, pushing her to never stop, never breathe, and never _think_ about anything butwork.

The breaking point came very shortly after that day when Rory's friends noticed that she stopped taking lunch breaks and went home only a few times a week to shower and change her clothes. It didn't make sense that someone so high up the ranks couldn't delegate or hire someone to help out. They didn't know what was behind it all, but Jill and Kimberly did know it had to stop. Rory's best friends staged their intervention.

As the weather grew warmer and April turned into May, Jill came up with the idea for the three of them to take a week off and go to her family's vacation home in South Carolina for a getaway. It would be a girl's week at the shore. They would relax in the sun and go out at night. They would shop a little and chat and have some plain old good fashioned girl time. They only managed to get Rory to agree to their vacation by telling her she could work from her laptop at the house. Jill just failed to mention that she would be turning off the router to make sure the internet connection at the beach house was nonexistent. Jill always thought that a vacation should be a real break. And how can one be on a break if they can still check their email and send articles in to work?

LLG + LEH

Rory's fervor for her work could only be matched by Logan's dedication to his own job. While he stuck to his self-appointed work day limits, he worked himself so hard that he only had time, and barely enough of it, for work and sleep. But all of it paid off for his career just as it did for Rory. He performed well and was becoming a respected member of the publishing business world in his own right- which truly gratified him. It was evidence that, in addition to carrying on the family name and tradition as was expected, and as he _was_ proud to do; he was not running Huntzberger Publishing Group the same way Mitchum did before him. Logan was doing it his way and that made all the difference.

Logan's business plan allowed him to take joy and pride in his work. He knew he was doing it well that allowed him to respect himself as well as those with whom he did business. While that was good, it was really all he had. He would work and sleep and get up to work again. He occasionally called Honor and Finn and Colin dropped by his office at their leisure, but other than those, he saw no one. And he knew he did it to himself. After all, he had concluded at one point that he would be able to have time for something, _someone_ else in his life. Maybe he was subconsciously filling his life so he wouldn't have to analyze Rory's behavior after their dance. This way it wouldn't hurt him to know that she had left him after a few perfect moments. This way it was _his _choice to be alone with his work.

But when those fleeting moments came where he allowed himself to examine his life he knew nothing had changed. He still loved Rory and she was all he needed to feel whole again and it killed him to know she'd made her choice and closed the book him. _So what can I do other than exhaust myself? It's all I can do to make the pain almost bearable._ _I tried. It was perfect. We connected. She saw me, I felt her, and we fit together and went to a place just for us. And she ran. _


	8. Chapter 8 The Plans are Hatched

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(The Plans Are Hatched)**

"Ok, let's try this another way: what kind are you thinking?"

"Anything black, or… _orange_."

"What? Orange? Just pick a car and you can have it painted any color you want, Finn! Don't choose by color again. You know that didn't work out well last time! Listen Finn. What don't you like about the Escalade you have?"

"Colin! You _know _what I don't like about it. I've told you a thousand times!" The Australian threw his hands up in disgust and walked away before coming right back.

"No, you just mentioned to me _this morning_ that you were thinking of buying a new truck, so you've told me exactly _one_ time. Is it really just that last year's model is too old?"

Finn threw his hands up in exasperation at his friend. "_Yes_!"

Colin closed his eyes and shook his head. _Oh my God. How did I get stuck car shopping with Finn again? _"But other than that you like the car?"

"Yes! That's what I've been telling you this whole time!"

"No Finn, you haven- Ya know what? Ok. _Now _I understand what you've been _trying to tell me." _He couldn't believe he was having such a convoluted conversation. "What about trading in the Escalade you have now for next year's model? Just get the new one."

Finn appeared to think about Colin's suggestion. "What if it's orange?"

"Then have them paint it black!" Colin clapped Finn's back and headed back into the dealership office. Once he figured out what his friend wanted, Colin would make it happen. Finn was useless at negotiating and as Colin thought about it…he realized Logan wasn't great at it either. Logan was fine when it came to newspapers and gifts for others; but when it came to buying toys for himself, he wasn't good at dealing either. Logan was notorious for walking away from good deals, and Finn just handed over his card too easily.

A half hour later Finn was driving the newest addition to his fleet of vehicles out of the dealership parking lot, with Colin sitting in the passenger seat praying for his life, as was par for the course when Finn drove anywhere- but especially in New York City.

"We should go pick up our boy." Finn mused almost to himself as he played with all the settings and buttons on the dash. He should see this thing!"

"Will you keep your eyes on the road, please!" Colin batted at Finn's fingers and took over control of the sound system. "And besides, he's too busy. That what he'll say."

"He's _always _too busy! We haven't seen him for a long time!"

"Well, except when we pull him away for lunch or crash his place."

"Yeah, and that's fun. We should keep doing that, but what about doing something big. Remember last week when we saw our mate's old girl? All the fun stuff we used to do? We need to do something big, something wonderful again!"

Colin laughed at his friend. He was right, but Logan would never let it happen. "Good luck, my man. Just try and tear Logan away from work."

"Well, now, hang on a second, _Colin_. Why don't we? We never used to let anyone stop us from doing what we wanted. You've got a few tricks up your sleeve still, right Mate? Colin shrugged and nodded. "…And with a body like mine, who could resist me?"

"Yeah, buddy! Logan needs a break he just doesn't know it; and we could always use one too. You got any ideas?"

The guys decided that, for Logan's own good, they would take a week and play all day like the good old days. It would be nothing but hanging out, catching up, bar hopping, meeting some new lady-friends, sleeping 'til noon, and doing whatever they could to find plenty of mischief. As good as their idea was, and as well intentioned as it was, the two musketeers knew all too well that Logan wouldn't take time off work without good reason- and 'just for fun' was no good reason anymore- so they had to get creative.

Colin made a call to Logan's Executive Assistant and found out that in just a few weeks, he was scheduled to go on a business trip to Charleston. Colin hoped maybe they could find a way to get down to the Bahamas or at least Florida, but they'd done South Carolina before it had turned out to be fun- besides, it would be easy since Colin's family had a house there and since it was where Logan would be at the end of his business trip, it would be easy to kidnap him there. Finn personally went down to Logan's office and used his 'exotic charm' to convince Logan's secretary to keep his schedule clear for their little vacation.

The next weeks passed quickly. The Friday before they were to 'meet up' with Logan, Finn and Colin drove down to Colin's house in South Carolina. It was beautiful with all of the charm of a beach house and the luxury any member of the Hartford elite would expect. The two men made it a point to prepare everything _before_ they met up with Logan to ensure that Logan would have no excuse not to stay.

LLG + LEH

Jill and Kimberly- of course unknowingly- made similar plans. Jill was assigned to leave a day or two before Kimberly and Rory to shop for the house and make sure everything was in order for her guests. She took the Friday off and headed toward her home away from home. Jill certainly came to be the party planner of the three girls. Any party with Jill at the helm was a good time had by all. The decorations were always all out, the drink never stopped flowing and she was the talk of their circle until her next shindig, yes, Jill was the right one to get the ball rolling.

Jill spent her Saturday running errands all around Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Her last stop before getting a head start on her tan was the market. She checked her list to make sure she'd noted everything she didn't already have and muttered the remaining items to herself. "Ok, so I just need whipped and ice creams, snacks, and …tequila!" She looked up from her list and almost jumped. She shoved the slip of paper into her purse moved just a little closer to investigate the beautiful, tall, tanned man she noticed also buying party items. He intrigued her. Being the brazen young woman she was Jill decided to _make sure_ this man noticed her too. She walked over and chose a bottle of scotch from the same shelf that the man studied. He looked over at her and had to do a double take before opening his mouth.

_HOT! Redhead and everything! Do work, Finn. _After a quick peek in her basket he saw that she was throwing a party of some sort. _Yes, indeed, must make her acquaintance_. He leaned closer to her and with his Australian drawl as prevalent as ever, he began, "Excuse me, my darling, but if you want an expert opinion, this stuff" showing her the brand he had chosen, "is _much_ better than that." He motioned to the bottle she'd chosen.

_An Australian!_ Jill loved Australians.

Meanwhile, Finn could hardly believe that the beautiful redhead standing in front of him was buying everything for a great party. Talk about his dream girl.

"Thank you…." Jill responded breathily.

"I'm Finn my dear girl." He supplied his name with an exaggerated bow. "And you are…"

"Jill." She said, beaming as they shook hands.

"It's very nice to meet you, Jill" She just loved the way he said her name! _That accent!_ She wanted to hear him say more things. _I gotta keep this guy talking_.

"It's nice to meet you too, Finn." She said noticing all the liquor bottles in his basket. "Having a party, are you?"

"Not really, actually. Just procuring the essentials. My best mates are here and we're gonna stay the week. Actually two of us are kidnapping the third. He's a bit of a work-aholic, my mate. Gonna try to remind him of the good old days when he used to play all day- and night. You know how that goes."

"Yeah! That's…_exactly_ why I'm here too. Two of my girlfriends are coming down for the week!"

"You've got two girlfriends joining you?" Jill nodded. "Maybe you and your friends would like to get together with us gents one night? My friends aren't as good looking as I am; are you girlfriends nearly as lovely as you are, my darling?" He laid on the charm as he draped his arm around her shoulders. They walked toward the checkout lines together.

Jill turned into Finn just slightly without thinking. "My friends are gorgeous. Between the three of us we have the blonde, brunette, and redhead thing covered pretty well." She said smiling. Jill was a flirt and loved where this was heading.

"Alright then, let's say Monday night at the pub on Main, say around six? Do you know the one I'm talking about, Love?"

Jill nodded, that accent, she loved Finn's accent. "See you Monday then, Finn. Have a good day!"

"Until then, my darling, Jill." Finn replied as he took her hand and kissed it farewell.

LLG + LEH

Logan got into his waiting limo, relieved to have finished his last meeting of the week- even if it was a Saturday morning. He tilted his head back to rest his eyes, very thankful that he was done with work until Monday. He couldn't wait to get on his plane and just relax at home.

Once he felt the car slow he gathered his briefcase and suit jacket and prepared to step out of the car. The driver opened the door, only the driver was not Frank and they were not at the airport.

Puzzled, Logan prodded, "Where's Frank? And why aren't we at the airport? I wanted to go to the airport."

"Sir, my instructions were to bring you here." The driver replied.

Logan looked around. He was at the beach! "What instructions? I asked to you to take me to the airport" Logan countered, getting more frustrated by the second.

From another direction he heard, "Logan, stop hassling the man. C'mon! Let's go!" Logan looked in the direction of the voice that he quickly recognized as Colin's and stepped out of the car.

Logan looked at the driver, "Sorry, man. I think my plans were foiled without my knowledge."

"It's quite alright, Sir."

"Colin!" Logan called, "What are you doing?"

An Australian voice answered, "We're taking a vacation. Everything's set up and your schedule has been cleared. You have one week and I don't want to hear anything more about this _work_ you keep mentioning." Finn finished with a clear distain for the word.

"No. Sorry, guys I can't. I have to" Logan looked at Finn, "work."

"Logan, no, you are staying here with us. We planned this _whole_ thing for you, Mate. We did so much _work_! You have to stay!" Finn swung his arm over Logan's shoulders. "You were going to be here anyway, and nothing has been cancelled from your schedule. We just planned this vacation so far in advance that your assistant, Terri, booked nothing for you this week- lovely woman, that Terri." By then Finn was on his knees in front of Logan with his hands clasped and begging Logan not to leave. "Please, please stay!"

"You made sure this week was clear? Terri is not an easy woman to convince to do anything."

Colin took over again, "See, even our 'nose to the grindstone Terri' knows you need a break. Hell, we all do, Logan. Just stay. We won't make you turn your cell phone off, but that's the best we can offer."

A smile spread over Logan's face and he shoved his briefcase into Finn's stomach for him to hold and Logan put on his coat. "Fine, I'll stay, but you two better have one hell of a week planned if I'm gonna get this far behind in work."

Finn dropped the briefcase. "Have no fear! Finn is here!" exclaimed the Australian with a leap into the air and with a jaunty prance that followed and ended in a bow before Logan. Colin picked up the case and the three headed toward Finn's new SUV.

LLG + LEH

Early Sunday morning Kimberly's doorbell rang and she leapt up to answer it. She found a half-asleep Rory with a cup of coffee in each hand glaring at her on the other side. "Good morning to you too, Ror!" Kim happily greeted her friend. She was really looking forward to this get away.

Rory groaned in reply and spoke in monotone as was her custom early in the morning. "Here, this one's for you" Rory handed her friend one of the cups. "Let's get going, we have a long drive today. Have you spoken to Jill?"

"Thanks, and yeah, I talked to her last night. She's got the house stocked and ready to go. I even think she has made some plans already. Just help me get my bags to the car?" Each woman took one of Kimberly's bags and put them in Rory's trunk and they were off.

Rory and Kimberly arrived that evening at Jill's beach-front house on Isle of Palms very tired from their early morning and long drive, but excited for the week away. A bikini-clad Jill helped bring Rory and Kimberly's bags into their rooms and then handed them each a margarita. "Ok, girls, the hot tub's all warmed up, so no more drinks until you are outside in the hot tub with or without a suit on!"

"She's already had a few of these, I think" Kimberly noted to Rory with an eye roll. The two ladies came downstairs with towels wrapped around them and went outside. The three gal pals chatted and relaxed into the wee hours of the morning sipping drinks and talking and laughing with their best friends. It was exactly as vacation's supposed to be.

The next morning they decided it was beach day. Kimberly and Jill ran to put on their bathing suits while Rory found her computer and a nice quiet spot in the house to work. A half hour later Kim and Jill came downstairs and were annoyed, but not at all surprised, to see Rory working already. "Alright Miss Big Time Newspaper Editor, you have until lunch time. We will come get you, go to lunch, and then you have to spend the rest of the day on the beach with us!" Jill laid down the law.

"Alright, alright, I'll see you at noon. Go have fun; I'll be done by then." She shooed them out of the house and got to work.

A couple of hours later the two women, obviously sun-drunk, came traipsing back into the house and yelled for their friend. "Rory!" Kim called.

"ROOOOOOORYYYYYY." Jill yelled.

"Ror? Where are you?"

"I'm HERE you two, but one of you is in big trouble because unlike I was led to believe, there is_ no_ internet connection in this house!" Jill and Kimberly both shook their heads and followed Rory's bellows to the living room. "Guys, what am I going to do? I have to get these emails sent out!"

Jill held up her hands in an effort to bring Rory down a level. "Relax, everything is set at the office for today; and tonight before we head to the pub you can take your computer to Starbucks and email them from there."

"You, Miss Jill Party Girl, are lucky this little town has such coffee shops to save your ass!" Rory yelled back playfully.

The three fell into a fit of laughter and decided to pick up some lunch on the way back out to the beach. At her friend's urging, Rory closed her computer and finally got ready for the beach. The girls picked up some tacos and spent the rest of the day alternating between lying on the beach soaking up the sun and playing in the waves. It was a bit unusual for all three of them to enjoy the playful flirtations from the men on the beach, but the ladies just ate it up- even Rory!

LLG + LEH

That same morning Logan slept in until nine- late by his standards. He hadn't slept so well or so long in years. He descended the stairs of Colin's beach front home in Isle of Palms, to find Finn and Colin awake and ready for a day to hang out at the beach.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Let's go play!" Finn greeted Logan with a hot cup of coffee.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll get ready and meet you out there in a while. I think I should take care of some work first." He took a sip of coffee and reached for the business section of the newspaper.

Colin reached over the across the island and swiped the paper from Logan's hand. "Not a chance, Huntz, no work this week and you have to abide by those rules. I said you wouldn't have to turn off your cell phone and I mean that, but that's all you get."

Logan sent his friend a look, but accepted it and even stipulated that it might be for the best anyway. He poured the rest of his coffee down his throat and turned toward the stairs. "Alright. Be right back."

The guys hung out at the beach all day. They played volleyball and Frisbee; and then when they got too hot they dove into the waves. It really was a great beach day. Logan hated to admit it, but it was exactly what he needed. He was thankful for his friends, for their being so perceptive to his needs and for planning the vacation. It had been far too long since they'd been able to let loose and have a good time doing nothing important and nothing on a schedule. At lunch time they went back to the house for some sandwiches and drinks; but they went right back to the beach to spend the rest of the day.

As the sun got lower in the sky Finn got more and more anxious to see Jill. It had only been two days since they met, but he was excited to spend time with her. _And it's just perfect that she has two friends and I have two friends._ "Alright men!" the Aussie bellowed, "It's time to go. I have plans for us at the tonight, so be ready by 5:45!"

"Since when do we have to have a time to go to a bar, Finn?" Colin asked getting suspicious.

Logan cut in too. He wasn't keen on cutting their beach fun short. "Yeah, and why so early?"

"Since we are going to meet up with some _lovely_ ladies at this bar, _Gents_! I met one of them the other day. She's perfect for me! Don't be late!" He directed the last comment toward Logan.

Just as they _finally_ arrived at the bar Logan remembered he needed to check in with Terri at the office. "Hey guys, I'll meet you in there. I have to make a call in to work." He knew it was late, but also that Terri would still be there for a little while yet.

Colin breathed in and then out trying to control his frustration. After a day like they'd had, he was annoyed that Logan was still thinking of work. "Alright, but don't stay on the phone all night, come in soon." Colin gave Logan a look to show he was serious.

Logan nodded back but he was already talking to Terri. "Hi. Yeah, no it's nice so far. Thanks for letting them clear my schedule."

LLG + LEH

"OK, Rory we're leaving! Come meet us after you send off those emails!"

"Alight!" Rory yelled back as Jill and Kimberly walked out the door. "I'll just be a few minutes behind you." Rory was actually a little excited to see what trouble she and her friends would find that night so he finished her business quickly and headed toward the bar.

It was close to the coffee shop and she found the pub easily. After smearing on a thin coat of lip gloss, she got out of her car and headed inside. As she straightened her simple white dress while crossing the parking lot, Rory found herself walking in stride with another person on the phone a short distance away. And then she stopped dead in her tracks. She would know his voice anywhere. Her eyes darted toward the voice and then back to the pub that they were both walking toward and then back at _him_. He looked perfect. He wore his signature gray pants with an a white polo shirt- his 'casual' look. Rory quickly recovered and stared straight ahead only stealing glances at him so he couldn't catch her gape at him.

"Thanks, Terri. Yeah, just leave it on my desk and I'll deal with it when I get back…alright, thanks…you too….bye." He put the phone in his pocket.

Logan got that weird feeling like someone was watching him and he glanced around to see who it was and stopped. He watched her for a moment until he caught her stealing a glance at him too. And he stared at her as she stared back at him.

It was a long time before thoughts began to flow through his mind again. But when they did, he simply couldn't believe she was there. _She's here! Of all places! She's here! _

Logan spoke her name. "Rory." The movement of her eyes to his let him know she heard him and he walked, slowly, toward her. He slipped his hands into his pockets to try to appear at ease all the while his heart raced. He stopped when he was only a couple of feet away. "Hi".

"Hi." She replied almost like a question.

He gave small uneasy laugh. "What are the odds, huh? What do you want to say Finn and Colin had something to do with this?"

Her forehead creased. "What? Finn and Colin are here? What- what are _you_ doing here?"

Logan's eyes went wide. He couldn't believe it was actually a coincidence. "You… didn't know we were here?" Logan asked.

"No. Did you know _I_ would be here?"

He shook his head slightly. "No. What… _are_ you doing here?" Logan asked again before he realized he may dread the answer. _What if she's here with another guy?_

"I'm on vacation… with my friends." It seemed like something clicked inside her just then. "Listen, I'm actually late to meet them. I- I-I really have to go." She said it matter-of-factly and began to walk away from him again.

He darted after her, keeping up easily. "Rory, no. Rory! Stop! Please!" She halted. She didn't know why. Rory looked back at him and crossed her arms in front of her body, as if to protect her heart.

He saw her. He couldn't help himself. Logan drank her in. Her skin was sun-kissed and her white sundress fit her just right. It hung off of her perfectly and at the same time accentuated her figure.

When she realized what he was doing she became self conscious and started chewing on her lip like he remembered she did when she was nervous.

"Rory, don't go. I've missed you."


	9. Chapter 9 Memory Lane

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(Memory Lane)**

For a while she was stunned to hear to hear such a blatant confession.

And then she got angry and indignant and then she went off. "You've missed me? _You've _missed _ME? _What? What do you want me to say to that? I quit my job! I looked for you! I _waited_ for you! You can't say after just one random night of dancing that you _miss_ me! You didn't even come_ after_ me! I _waited_! I waited for you for _so_ long-" She halted her words. She shocked herself. _That wasn't supposed to all come out like that. _She put her hand over her mouth, totally unsure of what to do next.

But before she could continue, or worse run away again, Logan's eyes become concerned and he moved forward and took hold of her arms- like he wanted to hold her but… but he knew she wouldn't let him. She turned her head away from him as tears start to form in her eyes. "Look at me, Rory!" It was a command, but as only Logan could He commanded her calmly and lovingly, but with all the intensity he felt for the woman in front of him. His eyes drilled into her and forced her to look him in the eye. "You looked for me? You waited for me?" He got chills as her eyes answered him before her words.

He heard her swallow a sob. "Yes, but you never came!" she said through her hot tears quick breaths. _What is he doing to me? This isn't how I usually behave. Why does he make me a crying, dramatic mess?_

His eyes softened as he gazed down at her and he felt her shoulders loosen. She seemed to relax a bit more, like she had to get all of that off of her chest. "Oh, Ace." He said with a half smile. He finally understood her outburst. He couldn't believe that after all this time nothing had changed for either of them. Someone just had to admit it- and she'd just done that. He pulled her to him. Surprisingly, she went willingly. "I'm sorry." He whispered into her hair as she cried against his chest. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to come to you. I _tried_ to come to you. I'm sorry."

Not lifting her eyes to meet his again, she answered, "Logan, I don't want to do this, not now. I have to go in there and face my friends. I'm here to relax and get away from stress. I'm sorry; I have to go in there. And you're here, and if we start this now I'll never be able to…" She said as she stepped away from him and wiped the tears from her eyes.

His heart hurt when she pulled away. "No, I need you, I need to see you again. Tell me when."

"I don't know."

Logan pulled her hand into his. He couldn't not. And she relented. She took a deep breath and pulled her hand away. "Ok. Coffee?

Logan's face lit up. "Yes. Tomorrow? In the morning."

She gave him the address of a café near Jill's house and started to walk away, but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't let her leave yet. He circled his arm around her waist pulled her into his arms again. Her arms found their way around his neck and she pressed her face into his warm neck. They stood clinging to each other for a few long minutes each remembering, and feeling all that they had missed about each other.

He loved how perfect she felt in his strong arms and how well their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. At the same time she felt truly safe for the first time since she left Yale. She couldn't believe how at ease she felt even with all of the uncertainty she felt about their future and their most recent past. She was surprised that she held on to him and didn't want to run back to the house where she could cry and chalk this experience up to another run in with Logan that wouldn't matter in the end.

But she stayed right there with him in his arms and didn't once think to run from him. It felt like home. When they finally pulled away from each other they walked toward the pub together, Logan's arm in place around her body in the way she'd missed so very much.

As they approached the entrance she slowly squirmed out of his hold, not wanting anyone inside- namely Finn and Colin, and Jill and Kimberly- to see her with him just yet. But Logan was just not ok with that. He let her go as far as her arm would let her, but he kept her hand securely lodged in his. He opened the door for her and they both walked in.

"Logan!" Colin and Finn shouted to get his attention at the same time Jill and Kimberly called out, "Rory!" Finn and Colin looked at each other and said in unison, "Rory?" They looked back at their friend and then at the woman at his side- their Rory- with surprise. They smiled at the sight of Logan and Rory holding hands at the entrance to the bar. It was going to be a good night.

Rory looked back and her girlfriends and saw they were actually sitting with Colin and Finn! _Oh no!_

At the table Finn tied to sort it all out. "Wait a moment. Do you mean _that_ Rory?" Finn asked pointing at Rory while staring back to the women sitting at their table. The two women nodded.

Colin asked again, "Are you _sure_ it's _that_ Rory?" he pointed again at Rory who looked at Logan and then back to the one table that their friends occupied together. Logan was looking back and forth between his friends and the women they were with and Rory trying to figure it all out too.

The four who had already been there looked at each other in shock again while Rory quickly and discreetly tried to pull her hand loose from Logan's grasp, but he gave her a warning smile to tell her that she wasn't getting it back any time soon.

Logan deduced that Rory and her two friends were the ladies they were supposed to meet that night at the bar. He led her over to their table, where there were magically two empty seats next to each other. He pressed his hand into the familiar place at the small of her back to urge her toward their friends.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in, Colin!" an amused Finn said knowingly and clapped his friend on the shoulder as the pair made their way over to the table. Hello, my darling Reporter Girl!" Finn greeted her eagerly, but Rory was preoccupied with Logan's hold on her and only glanced toward the two men looking at her.

As they approached the table Rory quietly pleaded with Logan again, "Come on, Logan!" she tried under her breath, "Let go!" This earned a chuckle from the other four.

"Now, come on, Ace." He replied at regular volume so the entire party could easily hear. "Now that I've got a hold on you do you honestly think I'm going to let you go again?" He replied with his signature smirk. He had Rory sit first and took the chair next to her. His arm slid naturally around her chair-back. He then turned to the two women sitting on the other side of Rory and turned on his signature Huntzberger charm, "Hello, I'm Logan Huntzberger." He said as he extended his free right hand for them to shake.

"I'm Jill" The bubbly redhead said shaking his hand with a knowing smile. "So you're Logan from Yale?"

"Oh, am I famous?" He eyed Rory with a knowing grin. She shook her head and did all she could not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Yes, quite!" the blonde woman replied. "I'm Kimberly. And you already know Colin and Finn?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jill and Kimberly. And yes, Colin and Finn are my two best friends. We go way back." He moved his hand just slightly against Rory's back. "So, now everyone knows each other, the fun can begin, right, Ror?"

Lifting her head she lamely replied. "Yeah, let the fun begin."

"Oh, come now, Love, don't look so down. It's wonderful to see you again and so soon, too! Don't tell us you didn't miss us!" Finn greeted Rory.

"Hey guys. It _is_ good to see you again." Rory said looking up to finally acknowledge the other two men, but she still didn't smile.

"Wait, so you really _all_ know each other?" Kimberly asked.

Rory turned to her girlfriends. "Yeah. I met Colin and Finn when I met Logan at Yale." And then she turned to Logan, Colin, and Finn, "Jill and Kim are my best friends. We work together in New York."

Logan nodded. Colin and Finn, again in unison, gave an amused "Ohhhhhhhh" as if everything had just fallen into place.

"Well, I think it's just fabulous that our favorite Yale darling, here, was the woman we were waiting on and our best mate was the last to arrive from our group. It's just _perfect_!" Finn exclaimed with a squeal. His enthusiasm grew even more when he announced, "It's time for another round now that our final two group members have finally joined us!"

Logan turned to Rory. "Hey, what did he mean when he said 'it's wonderful to see you again so soon'?"

"Oh, We ran into each other a few weeks back at a coffee shop. I thought they would have told you."

"No, they never told me. He glanced at Colin.

Colin just grinned at his friends. It was very good to see them together again. He didn't know how it happened, but he was glad they'd finally been thrown together- purely by happenstance.

Rory, oblivious to the exchange, continued on. "Yeah, we ended up in the same coffee shop and just caught up a little."

"Good." But Logan was still puzzled about something else. "Alright, and I think I'm still missing something here. How did the four of _you_ meet?" Logan aimed his question at their four friends.

Jill piped up, "Well, it seems Finn and I were both getting ready for a week of vacation with our friends to make sure the workaholics in our lives took some much needed time off," she said making it obvious with her eyes she meant both Logan and Rory, "…and we ran into each other at the market. Finn suggested a brand of scotch to me and we just got to talking and decided to mix our two parties for a night and well…here we are." She finished with a small shrug and a glance at Finn who nodded in corroboration.

Logan motioned around the table. "So this was all a coincidence then?" He almost couldn't believe it.

"Yeah! It's amazing huh? And our two latecomers even knew each other before too! It's like we were all _supposed_ to meet this week!" Jill said way too happily with a glance in Finn's direction. Logan saw Jill's interested looks toward Finn and smiled inwardly to himself. This _was _shaping up to be a _very _interesting week. Because this outing was orchestrated by Finn and the woman that seemed to be his female equivalent, Logan couldn't help but believe Jill's story.

Coming to attention Rory wondered absentmindedly, "Wait. Jill, none of us drinks scotch! Why would you buy it before you knew the guys like it?"

Jill's eyes bore back into Rory's as Jill turned a deep shade of red. Rory mouthed 'Oh' and gave her friend an apologetic look back. With her eyes Rory prodded Kimberly to take the conversation.

Kimberly got the message. "So tell us about Yale. We know most of the Logan/Rory history from Rory, but tell us about the rest of it!" Rory put her head in her hand knowing what was coming, but let the men begin their stories.

Logan began, of course. "Well, the first time Ace ever really spent any time with us she was on assignment for the Yale newspaper. Our group of friends had a lot of events and outings that kind of became infamous, and Rory wanted to see some of it for herself- and report on it in the paper." Noting Colin's worried look he went on. "Ace came on an outing with us, and on our little trip we had our first experience as a couple." He knew Rory would have a comment about that and before he could continue, sure enough, Rory spoke up.

"We weren't a couple then, Logan! Get your facts straight!" Rory's tone was playful and she almost had them all convinced she was annoyed…but not quite. And she still hadn't smiled.

He winked at Kim and Jill. "I know, but that was the first time I thought about wanting to be a couple with you." Logan admitted.

Ignoring this all too mushy admission, Rory finished the story. "Yes, Logan, Colin, and Finn took me to a uhh, a…party out in the forest, and at this party Logan and I jumped off a seven story scaffold in formalwear while holding onto nothing but each other's hands and open umbrellas!"

Kimberly's eyes went wide, "Rory, you did that? In a forest? Were you ok?

Logan cut in, quickly shooting down Kimberly's worries. "Yes, of course it was safe, and Ace did a great job. It was a once in a lifetime experience, right Rory?"

She perked up at the mention of her name coming from Logan and looked into his eyes. She responded so only he could hear. "Only if I want it to be."

Logan smiled at her with his eyes.

Finn noticed the air had become heavy and cut in, "And then there was the time I got to be the policeman in Reporter Girl's philosophy class.

"What?" Kim and Jill looked at each other and wondered if they could handle this group.

Colin took this one, "Let's see if I remember this correctly. At that particular moment in time Logan was quite hung up on our new acquaintance, Rory, and he decided that he had to tell her how he felt. But for whatever reason he didn't want to take her on a date like normal people." Logan leaned back in his chair to listen to the story along with everyone else. He was pretty sure Rory was hearing some of the backstory for the first time- and he knew Colin would tell it well. "…So, Logan enlisted us to help with his plan.

Rory, as I'm sure you know is quite studious and a real over achiever, was sitting in her philosophy class taking diligent notes and seemed enraptured in Professor Bell's words when I burst into the room claiming to need to speak to Rory. I found her and walked over so I was standing right next to her and started my part of this prank. I went on and on about how she couldn't just leave my bed while I was still sleeping and about how much I loved her and that we could work everything out. She just stared up at me from her seat like I had told her the world was ending or something, it was priceless. Anyway, then, as planned, Logan angrily stalked into the room and over to where I was next to Rory and started arguing with me, telling me that she was with him, pleading with her to say it was true. We both professed our love for her that day, only…" Colin lowered his voice, though everyone at the table could still hear him, "obviously Logan wasn't joking during our little show as much as I was. We then, naturally, proceeded to start brawling over Rory right there in the class. If I'm not mistaken you threw me over the desk, right, Huntz?"

Kimberly gasped.

Logan laughed. "Yeah, I did. You were laying claim to what I wanted to be mine and I had to set you straight." Logan answered in half playful tone.

Finn got very excited about his entrance and couldn't wait for his part in this anymore so he took over the telling of the story, "And then I showed up to save the day. I ran into the room _fully_ decked out in the most _fabulous_ costume and blew my whistle! It was a lovely whistle, all bright and shiny- and so _loud_! I took the two lads here by the collars and told the lovely Ms. Gilmore how she had taken away their balls, I believe, wasn't it?" he looked at Rory with a cheeky smile. "And how she had to give them back or something… Anyway, the whole class cheered for me and we bowed. I was clearly the star of the show, but Rory was none too happy about it, I remember that."

"Well, you guys had not only made me look like a girl who slept around and was in relationships I wasn't in, you disrupted my class. You know seriously I take my work. You can't do that sort of thing to a girl and expect her not to be mad." Rory defended herself while looking directly at Logan.

"So, what about Ace, now? Jill, Kimberly? Tell us about Rory now." Logan asked not taking his eyes from Rory.

Kimberly told them of Rory's hard work and the impact she had at the paper and ultimately of Rory's quick rise to the Editor position. Logan looked at her with great pride when he heard that and had to comment. "Editor? That's great! She's the best in the business, I_ know_ she deserved the promotion." Logan confirmed as he gazed at Rory. Of course, she was embarrassed, but she also returned his smile for the first time that evening.


	10. Chapter 10 It All Comes Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show. **

**(It All Comes Out)**

As the night went on drinks were drunk, snacks were snacked on, and the five shared stories about their common link, Rory, while Logan had made himself quite comfortable with his arm resting on the back of Rory's chair.

It was beginning to get late, by normal standards, but Finn was just getting started. "Another round everyone?" He more announced than asked

Everyone, including Rory, nodded in agreement.

"Ror, these guys sure bring out a whole new Rory- the Party Rory! Staying up late, having multiple drinks! I'll take some time to get used to this side of you!" Kimberly exclaimed.

"Are you kidding me, Love? Our Reporter girl can party with the best of them! Hey Mates, remember the Male Yale party?" Finn laughed at the memory.

Colin and Logan nodded as Rory groaned at the memory of that night.

"Male Yale party?" Jill asked

"Yes, my dears, I'll enlighten you. It was long before these two" he gestured between Logan and Rory "began dating, but after the time they jumped off that scaffolding together. You see, Rory's grandmother got it in her head that Rory needed to have a good knowledge of the strapping young males, such as myself, that she went to school with at Yale; so Mrs. Gilmore threw Rory a Male Yale party. She invited all of the most eligible bachelors from Yale so they could meet her gorgeous granddaughter. This way Rory could choose which one of us she wanted to date. Colin, Logan, and I were all invited to this party, naturally. When we saw that our Love, over there, was having no fun being paraded in front of all of Hartford society, we convinced her to allow us to form a sub-party in the pool house—"

"Oh, I love sub-parties!" Jill shared very interested in Finn's story.

"Me too, my darling Jill, we should form one together sometime, if you know what I mean" he said with a playful wink in her general direction before he continued, "…Anyway, soon it was Rory with us three and a few of our good friends in the pool house having an all around good time sipping champagne and scotch and chatting the night away, until Ms. Rory remembered her boyfriend! She ran out of the pool house to meet him at the front door where he was waiting for her; and of course everyone from the pool house went with her. The lovely Ms. Gilmore couldn't date just _anyone_ and, as her new friends, we had to make sure this bloke was good enough for our best girl.

Well, that boyfriend of hers got one look at her adorned with quite a few rather large diamonds and about 15 men watching from the doorway and the stupid man…well, let's just say that he left alone that night. So, we brought Rory back to the pool house to cheer her up. We all had _much_ more to drink and we saw how our good little darling had no problem having a fantastic sub-party while I performed my rendition of the 'Passion of the Christ.'"

"Ok. That was a weird night, my boyfriend had broken up with me, I was not happy about being paraded around like a piece of meat and I was just getting to know you guys. That's not how I _really_ act" Rory defended.

"I don't know, Rory." Colin said as an unsure smile crept over Rory's lips, "Sure, that night we partied to cheer you up, but you planned one hell of a party for Logan before he left for London. That was all _your_ doing _and_ it was a great party."

"I told you then, Ace, and I'll tell you now, that was the best party I've ever been to." Logan agreed

"Tell us about this party!" Jill demanded.

"Rory and Logan had been together for about a year and a half when Logan got orders from his father to leave for London the day after his graduation from Yale" Rory and Logan both shifted in their seats subconsciously and sighed audibly remembering that time in their relationship where they dreaded their separation. The other four noticed the change in demeanor in their two friends, but Colin went on with the story, "…and he was not looking forward to it, as you can imagine. Rory, being the good girlfriend she was, wanted her man to have a good last night in town. She invited all of his friends to their apartment and planned for everything at the party to go along with a British theme. People dressed up in costumes as people from England. You know, the Queen, the Beatles, Elton John, etc; and the whole apartment was decked out in British flags- even the snacks and drinks went along with the theme. Everyone had a great time and Logan got a really good send off."

Remembering that night and as sad she had been to see Logan go, she had a lot of fun planning something that she knew he would appreciate so much. With an exasperated smile at Colin for telling such a biased story Rory elaborated on the planning for the party, "You guys helped a lot! It wasn't like I did _everything_. You made sure he thought the two of us were going to have a quiet night in and you kept him busy while he thought I was at my grandparents' house. And besides, I wanted Logan to try to see that going to London would be ok. I thought that if he had good memories that he could associate with all things London it would be easier for him…and we all know that Logan loves a good party anyway. It was his night and I wanted to make it perfect for him." Rory explained thinking she had good reasons for knowing how to throw a good party to counter Colin and Logan's claims.

Finn cut in to reply to Rory saying, "Yes, but you did all the work, my love. It was all you and you can't deny that you _know_ how to throw a damn good party."

But before she could hear Finn's last comment Logan had already caught Rory's attention when his hot breath tickled her ear causing her to shiver. He leaned in to her after her explanation of the London party and whispered, "It_ was_ perfect. Thank you, Rory. That party made everything ok. You were an amazing girlfriend to me." When she heard his words she turned to look at him and their eyes met.

Meanwhile, Jill was shocked at Rory's previous party experiences, "Wow, Ror, now we can finally know the real you! I knew you weren't all work and no play!" she teased. "Maybe I shouldn't be the party planner of the group anymore!"

At hearing Jill say her name she tore her eyes away from Logan's that had held her attention and blinked. "What?" she asked cluelessly. Her friends smiled back at her and Jill repeated herself.

Rory felt herself blush at knowing they all knew Logan had distracted her, but she quickly recovered and replied, "No, Jill, you should still do it. It's really not my thing as much as these guys make it seem."

Jill stood up and grabbed Kimberly's arm, "Excuse us, we're going to the powder room" and pulled her friend away. Three steps later Jill turned back and "Rory!"

Rory stood up and rolled her eyes, "I guess that's my cue" and followed her friends.

After she joined her friends Colin asked Logan, "Hey man, how you doing? And what is going on with you and Rory tonight?"

"I'm doing well." But he couldn't suppress a wide grin. He was more than well. "…and I don't know. I hope _something_ though. It does seem like something's going on, right?"

"Oh, definitely! And Mate, you, with her, here, things seem right again, you know?

"Yeah, I know. It feels really good to be with her again. We're going out for breakfast tomorrow to talk about things so I'll keep you posted."

"Good man, Logan. I like her friends too." Finn said with a smile.

"Yeah, they seem like they could really be fun to have around" Colin agreed.

Logan rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what they were thinking.

LLG + LEH

Jill and Kimberly dragged Rory off into a corner of the pub that the guys couldn't see from the table and huddled together.

"Ok, what the hell was that all about?" Rory asked annoyed at the cliché girly-ness her friends were exhibiting in forcing her away from the guys and making a collective trip to the 'bathroom' no less.

"We wanted to check on you. You seem to be having a good time, but it wouldn't kill you to smile a bit more. It's obvious that these three guys care about you, so give them something" Jill encouraged.

A light bulb went off in Kimberly's head, "Oh, no, she's overanalyzing the Logan situation!" she said as if that was the reason for her less than eager participation in the conversation at the table.

"I am not! Logan and I are meeting tomorrow morning to discuss things. Tonight is not the time to think about my relationship with Logan!"

"So, you have a relationship with Logan?" Kimberly dead panned.

"No! Well, I don't know. I haven't decided yet."

Jill loved this kind of gossip and couldn't resist, "What are you going to say tomorrow? Do you want to get back together with him? Rory, think of everything we've heard tonight! You have so many good memories with the guy. You have a really good time together, think about when you used to be together! Besides, it's obvious he's still really into you."

"You guys know I've missed him too- _really _missed him, but I don't know." Rory said wringing her hands, "He probably works _so_ much and has to take business trips all the time, and I have never liked that kind of life. I want to work and do what I'm doing now and if I do start dating anyone, Logan or anyone else, I would want to have an actual relationship with him, not just an occasional phone call telling me he has to go out of town again. I won't sit at home and spend my time waiting for a man to get home." Rory took a long pause. "But, yeah, if we could work things out and get back on track, talk over the last couple of years and get to know each other again, I would like to give a relationship with Logan another try. I think we could be good together."

The two girls beamed at her for a moment.

"Ok" Kimberly finally said, "We should get back. They'll think we were talking about them or something!"

"Yeah, 'cause, Kim, I'm sure they have no idea" Rory said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The girls came back to the table and reclaimed their seats. Rory noticed that her chair had moved a few inches closer to Logan's so that there was no space between them, and she shot him a knowing look but wasn't at all annoyed. Rory had even felt comfortable enough to stay relaxed when she and Logan would touch- which was often considering he rested his arm on her chair back and his fingers periodically ran up and down her opposite arm and shoulder. As the conversation at the table continued Rory and Logan would, every so often, comment to one another on a story being told to each other and their secret whispers and intimate looks escaped no one's notice.

Rory admitted it to herself; she loved it. With Logan so close she could smell his aftershave that she remembered so clearly and she could feel his breath on her cheek when he spoke to her. She was already getting lost in him…and she didn't mind at all. It felt good to be around him, to be close to him again. It was where she was supposed to be- she was certain.

Around midnight, after the gentleman paid for their drinks, the group walked out of the pub and to their cars. Colin, Finn, Jill, and Kimberly all made it very clear that they were going together just as they had arrived together at the beginning of the evening and their cars left the parking lot as soon as they could. None of them had any doubt that they would be seeing each other again soon because of the situation obviously resurfacing between Logan and Rory.

Logan shoved his hands into his pockets and walked quietly with Rory to her car. "Rory, I'm really glad that Jill and Finn ran into each other on the weekend."

"You keep saying my name, not 'Ace' very much."

A little surprised at her train of thought, he told her, "You will always be my Ace, but right now it's more serious."

"Oh."

When they arrived at her car he leaned against her driver's side car door to face her, effectively blocking her entrance until he deemed it time for her to leave. "Rory, I had a great time with you tonight."

Standing in front of him she replied, "Yeah, it was fun remembering old times huh?" she agreed and gave him small smile.

"Yeah, but it was even better with you sitting there next to me allowing me to touch you. God! Rory, I don't think I could have taken my hands off you even if I had wanted to. You _draw_ me to you!"

Rory felt her heart begin to beat faster at his admission and was taken aback. She would need some time to thoroughly process the events of the evening before they had 'the talk'. "Hey, I thought we were going to talk about everything in the morning, over coffee, remember my need for coffee?"

He could sense she was trying to change the subject, only Rory would turn to coffee as the new topic. He chucked at her. "Yes, I do remember your need for coffee, I was just trying to tell you that I really enjoyed being around you tonight and I've _missed_ this with you." He said emphasizing his words emphatically gesturing between himself and Rory. He paused and looked into her eyes, "You know, there has been no one since you."

Rory folded her arms in front of her chest. "No. I didn't know that. Well, I haven't dated anyone else either." She said it all too quickly as she looked down to the ground like it was nothing more than just another fact to share.

He smiled at this, taking it as a sort of encouragement; he decided to make a bold move. He took both of her hands in his and pulled her to him. He draped each of her hands around his neck and connected her smaller hands behind his neck so she held on to him before he joined his own behind her back. She allowed this contact between them, but she refused to meet his eyes. After a moment she pulled her hands down his chest where they rested flat against his heart as if she needed to touch him, but at the same time needed something between them.

For a long time she stared at her own hands pressed against him knowing that he was staring at her with the same intensity she gave her hands. When she looked up at him he could swear he saw tears in her eyes and, again, and she was chewing on the corner of her lip. "What's going to happen, Logan? We have something between us, but I've spent so much time trying to get _over_ you and just when I thought I was doing well you came back not once, but twice, and did you come to Stars Hollow?"

Surprised that she knew he answered, "Uhh, yeah, I did." He admitted calmly with a shallow nod of his head. "Right after Christmas. I wanted to see you, but then I didn't know if I could give you everything you should have because of work and trying to figure things out on my own; so I thought better of it and drove on. How did you even find out?"

She dropped her gaze to her hands again, "Miss Patty saw your car and asked me about it." She admitted.

He wanted her to look at him! "C'mon, Rory, look at me." He coaxed her gently and it seemed to work. She lifted her eyes to his. He went on, "Listen, I don't know what's going to happen. I know that now I'm ready to try my hardest to give you everything you need. I know now that I have the _time_ to do that, I sure as hell know I want you back, I know now that I was _wrong_ to ask you to marry me like I did and to give you the ultimatum. I meant everything I said when I asked you, I just shouldn't have done it like that. You don't know how much I've regretted my words and actions that last day at Yale every single day since them." He felt himself going off on a tangent so He cut to the chase. "Rory, I want to be everything you need. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, but it's up to you. I realize that I will have to spend a lot of time rebuilding up trust and reconnecting with you, but I _want_ to do those things, I feel like I _need_ to do those things with you and for you."

Rory stared at him intently and countered, "If this is the way you feel why didn't you come back for me after you talked to my mom?"

He blew a breath out and ran one hand through his hair before joining it with Rory's hand on his chest. He held her hand tight and locked eyes with her. He _had_ to make her understand it was for the best at the time. "It's really complicated. I had just flown back to California to find you because that's where your mom told me you would be. I was looking for you at my office and at my home, calling hotels in the area and not finding anything when Honor called with the news about my dad being sick. I _had_ to get home right away.

Then, when I got there everything happened with the publishing group and I got put in charge of that. It all happened so fast and then I realized that until I had a better handle on my responsibilities and an understanding of the amount of time I had to commit to work, I couldn't ask you to be a part of that. It wouldn't have been fair to you or to us. If you let me back into your life I want you to be a part of mine too. It wouldn't have been fair to ask you for a relationship then when all I could have offered you was a daily phone call and an occasional rushed lunch date. You deserve more than that, Rory. Don't get me wrong, I wanted you then, just as much as I do now, only _now _I have a much better understanding of what my job requires of me and I have learned to delegate and I hardly travel…_and_..." He smiled and rocked back once on his heels, excited to tell her about the changes he made at HPG after he took over. He gripped her a little tighter as his eyes smiled back at her.

"What? Tell me!" She genuinely smiled back at him in anticipation as she sensed his excitement.

He decided, right then, that he would never be able get over those huge beautiful blue eyes of hers.

"Well… right after I became the CEO I decided that I didn't want to be the same kind of CEO that Mitchum was. He was my father and I wanted to do a good job in honor of him, but I remembered someone _else_ who managed the Yale Daily News with great poise and who respected those who worked for her and how good she was at working hard, but knowing when to quit and I took notes, Ror, I took notes" Her smile began to grow when she realized how proud she was of Logan because of his maturity in this- albeit a bit embarrassed at the praise he directed toward her "…and I made the necessary changes at HPG. I now model _my_ company after the way _you_ ran the news at Yale. Now there is less traveling for _everyone_, work is delegated, I trust my employees, and since everyone can breathe a little easier at HPG it runs more efficiently—the same amount of work gets done at a smaller cost and faster than it ever has before! _All_ the changes I made were inspired by you. Like I said before, you amaze me, Rory."

His energy shifted, it became a little more focused on the moment between them. Suddenly it wasn't just about work any longer. "I had to make my life worthy of you before I could ask you to be in it again. It's taken a long time and _many_ talks with Honor and the guys to figure things out, but I'm pretty sure that you could be proud of what I've got set up at work now." He finished with a heartfelt smile that mirrored her dreamy smile at him.

While he was talking about work and telling her of the impact she's had in his life and in his work neither of them realized that the space between them grew smaller and smaller. By the time he was finished talking the most natural thing for them to do was kiss.

Her hands hesitantly slid up his chest and around his neck as his lips crashed down onto hers that were anxiously waiting to receive him, his arms wrapped tight around her body and pulled her flush against him. Their mouths opened against each other and their tongues dueled in his mouth. She had missed the taste of his mouth for so long now and she relished it now.

Her lips were just as soft and perfect to kiss as he remembered. He breathed her in. He'd missed everything about her, the way she smelled, the way she tasted, her silky hair and smooth skin, she was intoxicating and he knew that she was his lifeline. At feeling her respond to their kiss against his body, their kiss only deepened. The passion they felt for each other was mutual, it always had been, it always would be. They were sure of that.

His hands touched everywhere he could touch; and hers kept busy too, roaming over the expanse of his chest and his back while their mouths continued to move against each other into positions of power and submission at the same time. They couldn't taste each other enough, they couldn't feel enough of each other, and they couldn't touch enough; it was like they were relearning and rememorizing everything in that moment.

They kissed out of a deep need for each other. What they had that night, in those moments was an exact illustration of what they had missed from their lives since Rory's graduation and they felt it. When he finally pulled his lips from hers she let out a small moan and he playfully licked and nipped her bottom lip in response. The pair stood there with their foreheads resting together, eyes locked, and panting happily from lack of oxygen which had led to both of them having clouded minds after that kiss- it was the exact definition of mind-numbing. It was wonderful. There was no way _anyone_ could think straight after experiencing what they had just felt from each other. He smiled down at her and they both realized they were lucky he was leaning against the car and she was leaning against him because they would not have been able to stand on their own after a kiss like that.

"Logan—" She started, but Logan interrupted her.

"Shhh, Rory." The Desperation plain in his voice, he only pulled her more tightly to him.

They stood there in the parking lot for a long time holding each other like it was the first and last time they would ever be together.

He laid a hard kiss on top of her head which was buried in his chest and she looked up at him, "Logan, I've missed this, I've missed you so much; I don't think I could deal with parting from you again." She admitted

Her fears were put to rest in his reply, "I'm not going anywhere without you, Rory Gilmore. I've missed you too much; I won't give you up again…but, if we stay here too much longer, we won't have gone to bed by the time our coffee date comes around tomorrow. So, as long as you _promise_ to meet me for coffee like we planned I'll let you go to bed."

"I'll be there, Logan." She said with a smile. He moved aside and she got into her car. She started the engine and with a final smile back at her he closed her door and began walking away from her car. After a few seconds she called out, "Logan!" and got out of her running car. He looked up just in time to see his Ace quickly moving toward him just in time to catch her as she launched herself into his arms. "I love you, Logan Huntzberger" she whispered into his chest.

As much as he knew she meant her words they still weren't a promise that they could be together again like they had been before. There was still much to work out, but he was going to give it everything he possibly could for the sake of her, for the sake of his sanity, and for the sake of them together. At that moment he needed nothing else.

"Oh, Rory." He said with the kind of desperation he felt in his voice when he's asked her to dance only a few months earlier, "I've missed hearing those words come out of your mouth. It sounds like Heaven. I love you too, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. I never stopped loving you." he murmured into her hair as he smiled with relief.

She heard his words only held him tighter. She was safe, she was _home_ in his arms. She knew her decision was made, she would be his again. Her decision was made hours before; she just didn't know it until that moment.

They stood there for a long time holding each other, never wanting that perfect moment to end. When they finally broke their hug she looked up at him. "Hey, where's your car?"

"I took a cab here. I was here on business before Colin and Finn got a hold of me, so I got around by Limo before tonight."

"I'll take you to your house. C'mon, Logan. You tell me how to get there" She said as she took his hand a pulled him toward her car.

As she pulled out of the parking lot he directed her to Colin's beach house. Each time he gave her a new direction she looked over at him and asked, "Are you sure?"

And each time he would answer, "Yes, I'm sure" with a bit of an exasperated but playful eye roll.

When she pulled onto the street where he was sure Colin's house was she drove very slowly in front of Jill's timeshare.

He spoke up, "It's that one there, three more houses on the right." Pointing to a house that was only four houses away from the one she was sharing with her friends. She pulled over and turned off her car. "Rory, it's up there."

"Yeah, I know, but you can walk from here." She said as she got out of the car.

"What's going on, are you coming in?" He thought it was a little soon for her to be going with him.

"No, that's ok. I think I'll just go in to bed and see you in the morning, oh, but do you want to me to pick you up since you don't have a car here?"

"Ummm…yeah, sure?" He replied looking at her puzzled.

She smiled, she loved to confuse him. She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug and said, "Ok, I'll enlighten you now."

"That would be good" he said with a smirk as he kissed her cheek.

"Jill, Kimberly, and I are staying here for the week." She said pointing to the house behind them.

He looked at where she was pointing, "That house, right there?"

"Yup!" Rory looked at him cheerfully.

Smirking like only Logan could, he commented, "Well…this is a nice surprise. So all day you were literally just a few feet from me and we didn't know it?"

"It looks that way, Huntzberger!"

"Let me walk you to your door." He offered, liking how close she would be to him for the whole week. He took her hand and led her to the door.

They stood in front of the door and he turned to her, "Ace, I'm really glad we're here together. I look forward to coffee in the morning. I'll be here at eight to pick you up for our date. We're walking!"

"Walking! Logan, you know I don't exercise!"

Smiling at her obvious abhorrence to his idea he quelled the argument, "It's a short walk, you'll be fine. I'll be here at eight."

He pulled her into a hug and kissed her mouth sweetly. Just as her hands found his cheeks he pulled away smiling at her with a little glint in his eye. "Until tomorrow, Rory."

"Bye, Logan." she replied with a genuine smile back at him and went inside, closed the door and leaned back on it with a dreamy smile.

Jill and Kimberly heard the door close and raced from the living room to the foyer. Jill was the first to get anything out, "Ok you googly-eyed girl, spill EVERYTHING!"

They ushered her into the living room where she giggled and swooned over Logan with her friends well into the night.


	11. Chapter 11 Bonus Points

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show. **

**(Bonus Points)**

Logan woke up at seven the next morning happy and eager for his coffee date with Rory. He showered and got dressed in loose jeans and a tee shirt before he threw on his casual grey blazer so he could go meet Rory. He made a cup of coffee to take for Rory so she could sip it on the way to the café and with that he was out the door.

Rory on the other hand was up at six to shower and get ready for her coffee date with Logan. She carefully chose a light pink sun dress and paired it with a white cardigan and a cute pair of flip flops. She carefully applied some light make up and curled her hair just like she knew he loved it. She wanted to day to go perfectly.

Although she had a good idea of what would happen, or at least the direction the morning would take, she wanted to look her best, but she also wanted to be honest with herself and with Logan. She thought that if there ever was a time to be honest and discard her pride it would be that morning, when she had the opportunity to tell Logan how she really felt.

After four cups of coffee and a good amount of pacing and thinking, the doorbell rang and Rory jumped up from the kitchen stool she was sitting on and grabbed her purse and answered the door.

"Good morning, Ace" He greeted her with a kiss on her cheek before handing her the coffee. "You look beautiful this morning. Your eyes seem brighter when you wear pink."

"Good morning yourself, Logan." She smiled at him. "And thank you. You look nice too." She returned the compliment off handedly, but he looked _really_ good and he got to her more than she hoped she let on, but she knew she was blushing at least a little. "And thanks too for the coffee. It smells good, but I thought we were going out to get coffee?"

He smirked, "We are, but I bet you've already had at least a cup or two today anyway; and I knew if you didn't have any coffee to sip during our walk this morning you would complain about walking the whole way to the café."

"I'm impressed, Huntzberger!" And with that she stepped out, he closed the door behind her, and they walked hand in hand out toward the promenade until she stopped and gasped and looked at a newspaper stand. "It's my paper! I have to get a paper! I haven't seen it this far south yet! It's getting bigger!" She was wildly excited. He chuckled quietly and enjoyed her enthusiasm over her work. They bought the paper and finished the short walk to the coffee shop he had promised.

"Oh! It's so cute, Logan! I hope their coffee is good!" she exclaimed as she looked around when they walked in. They ordered their coffee and some scones to nibble on before they found a table. They sat down and drank their coffee while taking turns reading different sections of the paper together. He would remark about how good the paper was and she would talk about the writing and tell him about the writing staff and they would discuss the news they read.

Rory sat there and thought about the scene they made at the table. She thought back to their trips to Martha's Vineyard where they cooked together and ate breakfast in a real house together, almost like it was really their house. She loved those times and remembered a remark she had made to her mom the time Luke and Lorelai had joined she and Logan at the Vineyard. She told her mom that Logan and Luke could be their "ones". Smirking to herself at the memory _little did I know how true that statement would be. _She knew that her last thought implied that she thought she and Logan would be it for each other, but somewhere deep down inside she knew it was true.

Every few minutes Logan would look up at her from the page he was reading and think to himself that she had a very good paper and that she should be proud of herself. Each time he looked up he would see her thinking through whatever she was looking at. He had no doubt she was analyzing each article and thinking of comments she would give to her writers, but that was his Ace. He thought it was sweet for her to be so invested in her paper. As he sat there with her fairly early in the morning drinking coffee and reading the paper together his mind went back to Saturday and Sunday mornings in their apartment when they lived together at Yale. They used to sit at the breakfast bar or sometimes even in bed together and argue over who would get the different sections of the paper and when as they drank their morning coffee and ate their breakfast. It was a fond memory that he never let get too far from his mind or his heart. That memory made sitting there with her at that coffee shop in South Carolina comforting and it seemed normal and good.

When they had each read the entire paper he looked up at her and said, "I know you're proud of your paper, Ace, and you should be. It's a _really_ quality paper. You have done a great job!"

"Thanks, Logan. It means a lot to hear you say that. You would know, after all."

"And so do you, Ace. You know just as much about putting out a good paper as I do."

She just looked at him and smiled and looked back down at her now empty coffee cup searching for something, anything to look at or talk about. _How can he be so calm and just sit there smiling, no smirking, and looking at me!_

After a few awkward seconds he looked across the small table at her and said, "Rory, I'm just going to jump in here, ok?"

"Ok" she answered meekly.

He could tell there was some apprehension in her voice, but he was determined to tell her how he felt. He thought they made some great progress the night before so now all that was left was to talk about the details and make a final decision. _He _knew he was ready and able to take on a relationship with Rory, but he had to make sure that _she_ knew it too.

"Rory, I want to be with you. I know we have a lot of things to talk though, to work though, but I want to be with you again. Do you think we could just talk about what we think it would take, logically speaking, for us to give this a try? I'm pretty sure, if last night as any indication, that you wouldn't mind spending some more time with me again, is that right?" he asked with a touch of cockiness, but with so much more sincerity.

She gave him an exasperated smile, "Logan, I do want to talk about starting this back up, this thing, whatever it is we have, but I don't know what I need to know exactly." She paused for a beat, "You're sure you will be able to give the time that is necessary for our relationship?"

"Yeah, Rory, I know now that I have the time to for a relationship with you. I told you mom when I visited her in Stars Hollow that I didn't want to find you to _see_ if we had something that _could_ work, but that I wanted to find you to make what I _already know_ works and what we already have live again. Rory, I'm not going anywhere and if you'll let me I am prepared to make sure that you never come second in my life." He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "You, this, us will _always_ be first in my life. You just have to let me show you. Please, give me that chance; please let me try to make you so happy, Rory."

"Logan, that's really sweet." She thought for a moment. He started to get worried like there was a 'that's really sweet, _BUT_,' coming, however, instead she continued.

"Hey, you know how last night you told me that you regretted proposing to me the way you did at my grandparents' house?"

He eyed her curiously; anxious to see where she was going, "Yeah…"

"I think I should share my regret that's haunted me since you proposed too." She stopped, looked down at her free hand and then to the one he held on the table. She bit the inside of her lip, took a breath for courage, and continued as she stared at her hand still encased in his. "I feel like I have to be totally honest with you, now that we're trying to work on things between us."

"Ok." He was really starting to wonder where she was taking this…_should I be worried here?_

Rory just continued. "My regret is that I refused you at my grandparents' house and again at Yale." She stopped.

Her admission just hung in the air. Logan stared back at her, not exactly sure what to do or say; obviously ecstatic at the news, but somehow unsure how to proceed. Luckily she saved him and went on with her story almost as if she had never paused.

"I regret it every day. I should have said yes. I think every day about how wonderful my life would have been, _our_ life would have been if I had just said _yes_." She finally looked up at him and met his eyes. "Logan, I'm so glad that we get another chance, and I want to take it with you. I don't want to run again, I want to stay right with you, wherever you are."

"Really?" he needed to make sure that he'd heard her right. She nodded as her eyes smiled at his. He couldn't help the smile come over his face, but he was still in disbelief. "You're sure?"

"Yes, Logan. I want this with you, I'm _sure_." She returned his smile.

_Yeah, she's still the same Ace, my Ace._

"So, we're going to do this again?" He asked in earnest.

"As long as you're up for it, I'm up for it." Rory replied with laughter and great joy shining in her eyes.

"Alright, you're on." He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips where he placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

"So, boyfriend" she said playfully, "Tell me the _whole_ story. Fill me in on what happened after you left Yale and how you happened to be here this week. You're the CEO of Huntzberger Publishing, now right? But does that mean that you are in charge of everything, EVERYTHING? Is your grandfather in charge of anything?"

He had to laugh at her rapid fire questions. "Ok, ok, hang on a second. I'll tell you. Do you want to walk and talk outside?"

"Sure, but let's get another cup of coffee to go."

They stood up he ordered, "A large coffee for the Lady please?"

He paid for the coffee as she reached for it and took a long drink. "Mmmmm" she almost breathed as the hot liquid flowed into her mouth and over her waiting tongue. Logan watched her sip her coffee in awe.

Once they were outside Logan turned to her and slid one hand onto each of her hips and pulled her into him and gently placed a soft kiss on her lips. "It's good to have you back, Rory." He brushed his lips over hers once again. They stood there for just a moment smiling at each other, blissfully happy.

She took another sip of coffee and glanced up at him and said, "This is seriously good coffee! Ok, no more stalling, spill it, Huntzberger!" she commanded.

He took her hand and they began to walk as he started. "Ok, so, to answer your first questions, Yes, I am the CEO of HPG. It is my company now. I answer to no one but myself, and now to you as well." He gave her a playful nudge which Rory rewarded with a kiss on his cheek. He continued, "Since I became the CEO I was able to make those changes I told you about last night as soon as I started. But let me start at the beginning, let's see here…when I left Yale I went to work in California at that internet company I told you about before we split up. I was doing well and everything, but I missed you…a lot. I heard from my mother who heard from your grandmother that you were working for the Obama campaign and when I looked up the tour dates I found you were headed to my neck of the woods that weekend. So, I went to the event in Sacramento to look for you, but I couldn't find you. Your—"

"Wait, you looked for me on the tour that weekend?" She couldn't believe what he was telling her!

Logan only nodded.

"I quit _right_ before that event stop to go find you!"

"I know. I found that out when I couldn't find you, because you were looking for me, after I flew back east to talk to your mother to figure out where you went after you quit."

"Oh my God! And let me just say how sweet I think it is that you flew all the way back east to see my mom!"

A smile crept over his lips again, "Yeah, well, I knew she had to see how much I needed you before she would give my any information about you… and I felt like it wouldn't have been right to do talk to her about something, or rather some_one_, so important over the phone anyway." He looked at her and she nodded for him to continue and he went on, "So, she gave me the ok and told me you were in California looking for_ me_. When she told me that, Ace, I was flying, I don't mind sharing with you. So, I had just flown back and forth across the country looking for the love of my life and was back in California trying to locate you when, like I told you before, my sister called, literally the night I got back from Connecticut, and told me I needed to get home to see my father who was in the hospital…"

And he went on to tell her the whole story about how he was thrust into power the night he returned home and how hard he worked and how much he had missed Rory. He told her more about the ways he'd improved the company and the environment he tried to create at work for his employees. He told her that he hadn't felt the desire to even date any other women because he only could think of Rory and how happy he was that Colin and Finn had kidnapped him at the end of his business trip two days prior.

When he was done she said, "You know, my mom told me what you said to her. You said some really good things, Logan. I was really happy that you went to see her."

"Good. I'm sorry it didn't work out until now, but I'm glad you knew that I had been thinking about you just as, now, I know you were thinking about me too" he finished with a laugh and a playful squeeze of her hand referencing what he had learned from her friends the night before.

She blushed and rolled her eyes trying to play off the fact that she was slightly embarrassed.

"Ok, Ace, I'm done. It's your turn. Tell me about your exciting life since Yale"

She regaled him with stories of her work on the Obama campaign, and she told him that she had missed him too and of all the times she tried to get over him, but it never worked. She told him about her time in Stars Hollow after they had missed each other in California and about how much more successful she had been at finding a job she really wanted when she tried again at the end of the summer, and how she and Jill and Kimberly had become good friends very quickly once she started her job. She mentioned that she had seen his mother at the Gilmore's Christmas party, and that while she had loved her new job and loved Jill and Kim that she hadn't been right since she left Yale.

"I'm only right when I'm with you too, Ace" He returned with a smile and a long kiss on her lips. He had meant only to give her a quick peck, but it felt right to deepen it. They stood there for a long moment in the shade of a tall tree holding onto each other and kissing like their lives depended on it. She wondered if, when she got used to kissing him again, the butterflies that jumped in her stomach and the spark she felt at his touches would go away, but she thought back to when they dated during their time at Yale, and she knew they wouldn't.

A few minutes later they were walking along the promenade again with his arm slung casually, but protectively around her shoulders as she leaned into his side. They looked into the storefront windows and they bantered back and forth with each other like they always had done. She told him about the books she had read recently and the debated the merits of one author over another. She loved this, she'd missed this. It seemed like it was just like last time, but new too. They were as close as any two people could get to being a perfect match for each other, and they both felt it.

The pair kept walking until she started complaining. "Logan, this short walk is starting to feel like exercise. I think I have to eat again soon too. Do you want to go back?"

He laughed at his girlfriend. "Only you, Ace." He said in mock exasperation as small smile formed on his mouth. "Only _you_ could think this leisurely stroll has been strenuous and only _you_ could need to counter that feeling with eating so soon after having breakfast. I'll tell you what though, why don't we get an early lunch to reenergize you and then we'll head back. Sound ok?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Oh, let's get pizza! I want a good pizza!" She turned to him and looked at him and gave him her best 'Bambi' eyes. She new very well that he loved her eyes and that she could really get him to agree to anything if she used them right.

"Ahh!" he groaned. "You remember my weakness…alright, we'll find you some pizza." They found a small pizza parlor and sat down to some good old fashioned pepperoni pizza. Rory loved it and managed to eat three pieces while Logan just barely kept up with her. Their conversation never lulled and they ended up staying longer than they thought it would take to eat pizza, but their conversation took off and before they realized it they had been there for over an hour.

After they left the restaurant Rory slipped her hand into Logan's and they meandered back toward the way they came from. Both were so happy and quiet. After a time of comfortable silence passed between them Rory asked, "Logan?"

"Yeah, Rory?"

"I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks."

They stopped walking and turned toward each other still holding hands. The pair looked at each other and smiled. If Logan would have seen two people behaving like they were just a few years earlier he would have been disgusted with the whole scene, but now it was different. He loved that he got to live this fairytale with this amazing woman. She put her free hand on his cheek and kissed him lightly once, then twice.

She loved the feelings going through her. It was so easy and comfortable to be with him because they already knew each other so well, but she got to experience everything new again. Each touch, each look, each kiss was so exciting. She got even happier when she remembered that even when they had been dating for a while those things never turned got to be mundane with Logan like they had become with her other boyfriends. It was different with Logan and she loved it.

The couple began to walk again. "Rory? Why did you say that, that you're proud of me? I mean don't get me wrong, I _love_ that you're proud of me. It's something I want to work for and earn every day from here on out, but what made you say it just now?"

"Well, it seems like you are doing really well at work and some really great things at work. You took something that was set up before you got there and changed it for the better in so many ways. You are only 26, but you seem much wiser than the average 26 year old. I know that you know how to work hard, and no matter how hard you may try to fool anyone else, I know you love a job well done and that you take great pride in your work. Those are great things, Logan. I think the biggest reason that I'm proud of you, though, is that even though you wanted to be with me again you waited until you knew it would be right. That takes a lot of self control, but you did it so we could have a real relationship, a real partnership when we did finally get back together. Thank you, Logan. I have _so_ many reasons to be proud of you!

His heart soared. _How could I be so blessed?_

"Logan, I also want you to know that I'm going to be supportive of the demands of your work. I love and appreciate that you are going to put me and us first, but I also know that you will have functions to attend and will, on occasion, have to stay late at the office or travel, even with the limits you've put on yourself, and I want you to know that I will understand when you have to leave for a few days and if you need a date for a function I will be right there with you happily holding your hand and standing at your side."

"Thank you. You know I'm going to try to keep the days and nights I have to spend away from you to a minimum, but it's really good for me to know you know that at least some of that is inevitable and that I have your support in those things. It means _so_ much to me. I want you to know too, that whatever our future holds I will _never_ expect you to give up your career for me, I _will_ understand if you don't want to attend a function with me, and I will _never_ ask you to be a part of any organization like the DAR. I want you to be with me, and I want you to be happy and anything that will not make you happy, I don't want you to do."

"Ok, Logan. I like that. We will be us and whatever we can do on top of that is just bonus points!"

"Yeah, Ace, bonus points." He smiled, the analogy was good. It suited them.

"Hey Logan?" she asked again.

"Yeah, Ace?" She loved hearing the familiar nickname even after this long time.

"It's going to be different, but it's also going to be the same, right?

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Rory." He said smiling. He thought she was adorable when she started a conversation like this, like she was in her own world with her own thoughts swimming around, but then asked for his opinion or a comment like he had been privy to her thoughts.

Looking for a way to clarify she said, "Well, we are starting over again, but we're really not, because we already did this before and we already know each other so well."

It clicked, he knew what she meant. "Well, we have both done a lot of changing in the last couple of years, so we will get to know the new things about each other, but other than that, I don't know how it's going to be. I love that we're already so comfortable with each other; I think that comes from knowing each other before. Why don't we just play it by ear? We'll do what we feel is right, what we are both comfortable with when the time comes. You should know, though, that because I know I've got you now, I'm not in any big rush. I just want to enjoy my time with you and whenever a new part of our relationship comes into it I'm good with that. That sound ok?"

"Yes, that sounds good. We should just wait and see if we pick up where we left off, or if we go more toward the beginning and do more starting over. I do like that I already know so much about you, though. It makes this more fun." She admitted.

"I think so too, Rory. I think so too." He said with a smile.

After the different conversations they'd had that morning and the way they had danced around the topic more than a couple of times, there was no official consensus that they would never break up, never be with anyone but each other ever again, but inside, somewhere, both Logan and Rory knew they were in this for the long haul. They would make their relationship work to last forever.

They rounded the corner and found themselves on the street where they were both staying that week. A few minutes later they walked up to Jill's house and heard loud sounds of laughter coming from inside.

"Looks like the boys found out where you girls are staying this week" Logan said with a slight smile and a playful eye roll.


	12. Chapter 12 Margaritas and Marshmallows

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show. **

**(Margaritas and Marshmallows)**

"You ready for this?" He asked her seriously.

"Yes." She replied confidently. He loved that she was already so confident in this. He loved that they were on the same page again.

Logan opened the door for his girlfriend and they both stepped inside and followed their ears toward their friends. As they got closer to the living room Rory, still clutching his hand, hung back so she could be a step behind Logan and he would enter the room first. Logan knew she didn't like being the center of attention as much as he didn't mind it, and this afternoon- after last night before, during, and after the pub, and their coffee date this morning- they would be the subject of questions, cat calls (from Finn of course), and knowing looks. He allowed her to follow him into the living room, but he didn't allow her out of his reach.

"Hey, everyone, looks like you figured out that we are neighbors this week." Logan said announcing their return.

"Well?" Colin asked making a show of looking at their joined hands and back up to Logan.

"Well what?" Logan replied keeping a straight face, but already knowing what his friend was asking.

"Did it happen? Are you…." Colin looked slightly annoyed with Logan's game. "Look, man, Rory's standing behind you smiling, so just tell me, did it happen?" Colin tried again

Logan looked at Rory and she tried to drop her smile to give a neutral expression to help out his game, but it was impossible.

"Did what happen? Are we what?" Logan again responded making sure to frustrate his friend

Finn, unable to take anymore of this beating around the bush jumped up from his position on the couch and knelt before Rory and implored, "Rory, my love, Colin is trying to ask if you and Logan have come to your senses. Did he beg you to take him back? Did you accept?"

"Yes!" was all she could say for her smile had taken over her face. Logan looked at her with loving eyes. She may have been too timid to walk into this room ahead of him, but he loved that she couldn't contain her feelings about this any better than he could.

Kimberly and Jill let out squeals of excitement and Finn yelled, "FINALLY!"

Colin looked up and simply said, "Thank God!"

Everyone in the room knew that Rory and Logan belonged together and that even their friend's lives would be so much happier and more fulfilled now that they were together again. As was fitting, neither Logan nor Rory could wipe the smiles off of their faces. Logan kissed her cheek and pulled her into his side as they stood there before their best friends happier than they had been in years- since before the last time they'd seen each other.

When the cheering and leering had died down a bit Logan asked, "What were you all doing here anyway?"

Jill answered from her place next to Finn on the couch, "The guys showed up a couple of hours ago saying that we should all wait for you two together, so we started a movie and we just had lunch. We were actually thinking that we would all hang out together today, maybe spend the day in the back by the pool and have a barbeque for dinner. What do you think, Ror, Logan?"

"Umm, yeah. That sounds fine to me." Rory said. She was always easy going about these kinds of things.

"Good, well, we'll be back in a few minutes. We should all go change into our board shorts. Is there anything you don't have here? We can run out to the store since we're already going out" Logan offered. He had already started wondering about the bathing suit Rory would wear.

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks! I'll make you a little list. Be right back" Jill said. A minute later she came back with a short list and the guys were off. The girls went to change and set up a few things for the afternoon and evening. Rory came down wearing a white strapless beach cover-up and the royal blue strings to her bikini top peaked out from the top and tied behind her neck. Jill, the redhead, wore a bright green bikini with small white polka dots that was covered up with a tank top and a short denim skirt, and Kimberly had on the same kind of cover up as Rory, but it matched the color of her hot pink suit perfectly.

LLG + LEH

Logan, Colin and Finn walked back to their house, changed into board shorts and sandals, and got into Finn's SUV and made their way to the store. After a just few minutes in the store Colin was saying, "Ok, guys, it looks like we got everything on the list: hamburgers, chips, buns, hot dogs, more buns, lettuce, cheese, watermelon—"

Finn interrupted, "How 'bout marshmallows?"

"No, marshmallows aren't on this list, Finn!"

Finn, being the Finn that his is, picked up a bag of mini marshmallows and hugged them protectively to his chest. "I don't care, I want them anyway! We should also get some booze. The way they drink it, those girls will probably be out of tequila soon and they'll need some more margarita mix too. Better get a couple more bottles of our drink as well." He paused, folded his arms across his chest as if deep in thought, then the Australian continued, "You know, I have never known six people to go through so much liquor in such a short time before!"

Laughing at this Logan cut in, "Finn, that is such a lie, but maybe we _should_ get some more scotch for us and stuff for the girls. Hey, you seem awfully concerned about the girls, especially Jill. What _is_ going on with you and Jill anyway? You two seem awfully friendly for having just met."

"Logan! She's hot, she's a redhead, and she likes to party! She's like my dream girl! You know I'm always up for a little fun, Mate!"

"Alright, alright. Let's get back. I think we've got everything now."

"Missing Reporter Girl already, Logan?" Finn teased

"Only about as much as you would like to see Jill again!" Logan ribbed his friend back. Finn paid for the groceries and they piled back into the Escalade.

They made their way back to the girls' house and carrying the groceries, walked in without even bothering to knock. They found the house quiet and empty and they began to unpack their bags and put things away when they heard laughing come from the backyard. The three men looked outside and found Rory, Jill, and Kimberly chatting excitedly and laughing in the hot tub while sipping margaritas.

"Figures" Colin says playfully. "They send us out to run errands and they get in the water before we can even get a good look at them in their bathing suits!"

"Don't worry, my friend, we _will_ find a way to see those girls in their suits out of the water." Finn assured his friend. They finished up in the kitchen and poured themselves each a drink and went to meet the girls out back.

LLG + LEH

The door opened and Jill pointed daintily and said, "Oh, look, they're back!" The girls all turned to look at the three men who had just walked outside.

Logan began to make his way over to the hot tub when a slightly tipsy Rory let out a squeal, jumped out of the hot tub and launched herself into his arms and attached her mouth to his, effectively soaking him in the process as her wet body clung to his, newly wet, body, but neither of them minded. With her there in his arms he noted Rory's deep blue bikini that he had seen flying to him just a moment before. '_Nice! The kind with strings- My favorite!' _

After her eccentric display of affection she jumped out of his arms and back into the hot tub just as fast as she had bounded into Logan the moment before. Logan shook his head trying to figure out what had just happened. One minute she was there and the next she was back to sipping her margarita in the hot tub.

Once the feeling came back to his knees after that kiss, Logan finished walking over to the girls and came up behind Rory and rested his forearms on the edge on either side of her shoulders. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "I missed you too. That was one hell of a welcome back." She turned her head a smiled at him. It was all she could seem to do today. She liked it and so did he.

Smirking, he addressed all three girls, "So, it was nice of you to wait for us to get back." He said casually.

"Well, we _would_ have, but you took _so_ long and besides we thought that sipping drinks would be much more fun in the hot tub than in the house waiting for you. This way we also get a nice show when we watch you guys take your shirts off too!" Jill countered excitedly.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this, Jill" Logan shot back with a playful gleam in his eye. "You guys do know it's like 90 degrees outside and you're sitting in a hot tub, right?"

"Yeah, but our frozen drinks make us cold!" Rory answered and looked up at her boyfriend with a cheeky smile and a little shiver for emphasis. He just stared back at her, completely at a loss for words at their logic.

Just then music started to come out of the speakers in the backyard.

"YAY! Party!" Jill squealed.

"Yes, Love, a party- it's what I do best!" Finn cut in. He took off his shirt right in front of the girls, very happy they were all watching him, and jumped into the pool. Logan pulled off his shirt too and Jill and Kimberly started cat calling.

"Yeah, Baby!"

"OWWWWWW!"

Rory was quiet but she kept her gaze locked on her boyfriend. He was beautiful.

He came back to lean against the hot tub right behind Rory again and thoroughly enjoying their cat calls in good fun. With a big grin Logan shot back, "You ladies like that?" and in a whisper into Rory's ear, but not losing any of his cockiness, he asked his girlfriend, "Rory do _you_ like that?"

She rolled her eyes, but kept looking at him with a small smile. He kissed her cheek and jumped into the pool after his friend and Colin was left standing on the deck still clothed.

"Ok, Colin, your turn! Give us something to see!" Kimberly yelled

Finn looked up and couldn't take it anymore, "Now hold on a moment, girls. Why are you so excited about Logan and Colin, but not a word was said when I stripped for you?" Finn asked pouting.

"Well, I liked watching you, Finn" Jill announced

Colin smiled. He had just figured something out. He started out slowly, "Yeah… I don't think those are your first margaritas of the day, ladies" Colin said playfully.

"Nope! These are our second- but the way Jill makes them, we may as well be on our fourths!" Kimberly said proudly as she held up four fingers in explanation.

"Oh, that's where all of this is coming from…it's liquid courage!" Logan said as if it all made sense after that revelation.

"Alright, I'm going in too" Colin said and finally and he too took of his polo shirt and got into the pool as the girls all watched with their eyes glued to him.

"Colin, did you look like that in college?" Rory quietly let out more to herself than anyone else.

"What?" Colin asked with a smile

Logan's head jerked from his conversation with Colin to his girlfriend who he saw blatantly checking out _Colin_ of all people. "What did you just ask him?" Logan looked shocked

"Huh? What?" Rory asked and turned to her girlfriends, "did I say that aloud?"

"Oh yeah, you did" Kimberly said laughing.

Just then Logan came up behind her, took her drink out of her hand and placed it on a nearby table, returned to the hot tub and scooped Rory up in his arms. When she realized what he was doing she started screaming, "LOOOOGAAA-!" but was cut off when he jumped into the pool still holding her to him. Their friends all looked shocked first at Rory's words to Colin and then Logan's actions in response, but laughter soon overtook them.

"Logan! I can't believe you did that!" Rory sputtered when they came back above water together. He pulled her to him and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him and held onto his neck while he grabbed her waist and walked with her clinging to his body to the opposite side of the pool for their little chat.

Smirking he started, "Now, Ace, I think you need a lesson in body appreciation. You can't let out a comment about another guy's body when your new and old boyfriend is near- and looking so well, I might add. You didn't even say you liked mine" He said in a half playful tone.

Rory, getting that he was fishing for compliments replied, "Oh, poor baby." She mocked, laying a hand on his chest, "You already know how much I appreciate your body, though, Logan. I had to give Colin a _little_ something to make him feel better about himself, especially with you around always looking so much better than him anyway" she finished coyly.

"So, that comment didn't just _escape_ your pretty lips, it was premeditated and only intended to give Colin's ego a boost?" he asked keeping up the charade.

"Uh huh" Rory answered as she ran her hand over his chest and down his arm stroking his muscles to show her honest appreciation.

Logan leaned closer to her and whispered into her ear, "You look good, too, Ace. Blue _really _works for you." and let his hands wander a bit south of her waist to give her cheeks a playful squeeze and placed a quick kiss on her ear for emphasis.

"I'm glad you like it" she said with a smile and a light kiss on his lips.

"Well, I kinda like being so close to you in the water with so little clothing on too."

"Yeah, it's alright." She said playfully.

Their four friends came over to the corner of the pool to impose on Rory and Logan's alone time.

"Alright, you two, break it up or get a room. We don't want to see any of that lovey dovey crap here!" Finn said way too loud for their close proximity.

"Don't knock it 'till you try it" Logan shot back not letting go of Rory. Rory smiled at their friends, but tightened her hold on Logan. He flew when he felt her try to get closer to him. He smiled and looked at her. "Enjoying yourself, Ace?"

She nodded emphatically still smiling as big as ever. "You?"

"You have no idea" He answered almost giddily before kissing her lips again.

The couples' friends had moved away from them in the pool and began to talk about their friends who were so clearly enamored with each other.

"Well, we wanted to get their minds off work while we were here…looks like mission accomplished" Colin commented.

"Yeah, but something tells me that when they go back to work they won't be such workaholics anymore either." Kimberly agreed.

"I hope this means the old Logan will come back. He hasn't been the same since He moved to California." Finn commented, surprisingly focused on the situation at hand.

"And something tells me that the Rory we knew from work will no longer be with us either. It sounds like the Rory from the stories she's told us about her past and Yale and in Stars Hollow will be coming out now too. I'm beginning to think more and more that they were supposed to find each other and get back together on this trip." said Jill.

Rory and Logan rejoined their friends who were all smiling at them. "I'm not even going to ask what you were all talking about" Logan said, shaking his head at them. "Do you guys want to play some pool hoops?" He asked pointing to the basketball hoop that was positioned over the pool.

"Sure"

"Yeah" Both Colin and Finn agreed

Logan winked at Rory. _Now_ she would have the opportunity see and appreciate the body he's worked so hard to keep up.

"We'll just watch from over there" Jill pointed to the lounge chairs that lined the side of the pool.

"YES! Excellent, Loves!" Finn shouted "We'll be able to see you perfectly from here!"

The three girls rolled their eyes and got out of the pool and made their way over to the chairs. Each of them positioned her chair so she was mostly lying down with her head propped up so she could watch the boys and soak up the sun. This was a two way street.

After a few minutes of the girls blatantly staring at the guys, Jill focused on Finn, Rory focused on Logan, Kimberly broke the silence, "So, Rory was right. Colin really does look good."

"OH MY GOSH! You like Colin!" Rory teased her friend. "Oh, this is just too cute!"

Before Kimberly could confirm or deny Rory's assumption Jill cut in, "No, you know what too cute is, Ror? You and Logan in the pool few minutes ago-- the very definition of a cute couple. I didn't know two people could smile as much as you two smile at each other- but I guess that's warranted, re-finding your perfect match and everything, I mean, that's a pretty good thing"

"Yeah, It's the best" Rory said with feeling and a happy sigh as she continued looking at her boyfriend play with his friends. It was true, all three of them were good looking men, but no one held a candle to Logan, no one ever had.

Logan looked up just in time to see her eyes fixed on him and he waved back knowing they were even. She smiled and gave a small wave back.

LLG + LEH

Colin saw the girls were chatting and laughing, but their eyes never left the shallow end, where the men were playing, since they had gotten out of the pool. Finn saw this and, turning to look at the girls, draped his arm around his friend's neck and said, "I know, Mate, Isn't it like we've died and gone to heaven?"

Logan joined the group and saw where they were looking, "You better not be leering at my girlfriend, boys!"

"Just look at them, Logan!" Finn implored as he gave out an appreciative whistle in the general direction of their audience. "They're gorgeous, all three of them!"

They heard the girls all laugh at Finn's whistle and watched as, in perfect unison the ladies all stood up from their chairs Rory looked over at the guys who were lined up facing them and laughed to herself at their obvious and unashamed staring and called, "We're going to start getting dinner ready; in a while you guys are going to have to barbeque!" She turned back to her friends and resumed talking with them.

The three men stood there in the pool and watched, mesmerized by the three smart and beautiful bikini clad women with amazing legs and perfect bodies walk seductively into the house in a line as they chatted and laughed together without so much as another look at the men.

Once they were in the house Kimberly said, "Oh, my God! That was perfect! They just stood there gawking at us! Rory, you are evil when it comes to this!"

"Not evil, I just know that with those three when beautiful and barely dressed women walk by they will stop whatever they're doing and stare with no shame. I thought it would be nice of us to give them a show!" Rory defended.

They all agreed then Jill said, "Ok, first thing's first!"

So, the women set to their first task- a fresh pitcher of margaritas!

LLG + LEH

Outside the men were all still staring at the door the women had just walked through.

"Do you think they planned that?" Finn asked clearly shocked and disappointed that their female companions had gone inside where he could not see them.

"Oh, man! I definitely need a drink!" Colin exclaimed

"Yeah, and maybe a cold shower!" Logan sighed

The three guys got out of the pool and heard the blender start up again inside and with an eye roll they poured themselves each a glass of scotch before they gathered around the barbeque.

The evening went on, the six had dinner together on the patio, each exclaiming it was the best barbeque they'd ever had.

After dinner a little sun drunk and tequila tipsy Kimberly stretched and sighed, "Today was _so_ fun! One of the best days ever, for sure!"

"Yeah, it was…until you put your cover ups back on for dinner!" Finn sulked

"Yeah! What's with that anyway?" Colin joined in

Logan and Rory just looked at each other shocked. That was a very 'un-Colin' kind of statement.

"Well, you guys put your shirts on before we ate, so we figured we would get dressed too." Jill quipped.

At this, Finn and Colin stood together and pulled off their shirts in protest.

Rory and Logan couldn't help themselves and burst out laughing at Finn and Colin's behavior.

Taking Rory's hand on one of his and their dirty dishes in another Logan piped up, "Ok, we're going out before this gets any weirder. Be back later."

As Logan and Rory walked away from the group they could hear Finn saying, "Now, could I interest you ladies in some marshmallows this evening?" This only made them laugh harder.

They went inside and he dropped their dishes in the sink and grabbed a blanket before Logan pulled Rory out the front door. They walked out of the yard and onto the beach with fingers laced in blissful silence. When they got closer to the water he looked at her and said, "So, Ace, have a good day?"

"Hmmm, let's see here. I woke up and got my boyfriend back, played in the pool with said boyfriend and friends all day, sipped margaritas to my hearts delight, had an excellent meal and now I'm walking on the beach with boyfriend on a beautiful night watching the sun set. Yeah, I'd say the day hasn't been too bad." She said with a coy smile.

He returned her smile and said "Good, I'm glad. I enjoyed the day too. No day can be bad when I get to be with you again."

"That was cheesy, Logan!" she complained.

"No, it was the truth and you loved it anyway, so no complaining! Ok, we're here."

"We're where?"

"At our destination." He spread the blanket and sat down and pulled her to him. He positioned her so she sat in front of him with his legs on either side of her body so her head rested on his shoulder and her back against his chest. He folded his arms over her stomach and bowed his head to place three kisses on her ear and whispered to her, "Now, look there"

She lifted her head from his chest and opened her eyes. He had sat so they could see the sun set in the distance, which luckily they were on a northwest-facing beach so it was only half setting over houses and they got to see it go down over the water too.

"Wow! The sky's so many colors! It's beautiful here, Logan."

"Yeah, it is, Ace."

She settled back against him and felt warm even though she knew she should have felt a slight chill from spending the day in the sun. She breathed in deeply and could smell Logan's natural scent she knew so well and had missed so much while they were apart the last few years. She felt perfect in his arms. He knew how to hold her so she felt safe and cherished. His smooth warm skin was amazing to touch and she missed that too.

His voice broke her thoughts "You sound like you are going to be sleeping soon."

"No, I'm just taking it all in, just thinking, just being."

He smiled to himself and brushed a few stray hairs away from her face before kissing the top of her head and tightening his grip and she snuggled closer to him.

A few minutes later Logan spoke slowly and softly against her ear "This is one of the things I missed most about being away from you- this feeling of total contentment. Before you, and since we broke up, I… I always felt like I needed to be doing something to have fun… to keep myself entertained and amused" He paused. "But here I am sitting with you not doing anything, just _being_ with you and I feel like I could stay here forever as long as you stayed here just like this, with me." she could feel his hot breath as he whispered against her skin. It gave her chills.

She turned her head and looked up at him and his lips met hers. Their kiss was soft, slow, and searching. She hesitantly licked his lips with the tip of her tongue, loving how soft they were. He couldn't get enough of the way her bottom lip felt between his teeth as he caressed it with his tongue and then his lips. The two sat there, relearning one another's mouths, the way it felt, the way it tasted, and what made the other let out those coveted small moans of pleasure.

There was no rush and they simply sat there enjoying the feel of their bodies so close together and the knowledge that they had found that which they had missed and needed for so long. This feeling was old and familiar, but new at the same time because they had been without it for so long. Her hand moved to cup his cheek. His skin tingled when her hand found his face. He'd missed those simple touches. Simple they may be, they still meant the world to him. They made him feel something that he had only felt with Rory.

Rory got a little braver and ran her tongue along his bottom lip. His breath caught but he allowed her entrance into his mouth again. As her tongue passed through his lips he couldn't help but touch the tip of his tongue along the side of hers before he attacked her mouth. It was a slow attack, but she couldn't have pushed him away even if she wanted to, not that the thought crossed her mind at all. She was lost in him just as much as he was lost in her.

When they pulled away from their kiss they stared into each other's eyes for a while with googly eyes. There were really no words that would do justice to their feelings.

After a few moments Logan's voice still low, he spoke, "Ror, can I take you on a date tomorrow night?

She nodded still having trouble thinking straight and coming up with words after their kissing in the moments before.

"Pick you up at seven."

She leaned back down onto his chest and listened to his heart beat. His heart was beating fast, but no faster than hers.

They sat there together until even their joyful feelings and the body heat that emitted from the pair was not enough to keep them warm anymore. They stood up; he shook out the blanket, wrapped it around her, and picked her up and carried her like he would carry a small child all the way back to Jill's house.

When they arrived he kissed her softly again while he still held her.

"Rory, today's been the most perfect day. I would have been supremely happy to get you back in any way on any day, anywhere but today was amazing; if I had dreamed this it couldn't have been better."

"I agree!"

He kissed her again and said he would pick her up for brunch the next morning at ten, watched her go into her house and he walked back to Colin's house to meet back up with friends. He was sure they'd want details and for once, he was willing to give them freely.

Logan opened the door to Colin's house and saw just what he'd expected to see that night when he returned. Finn and Colin had set up in the living room with a table set for a poker game and three glasses of scotch.

Logan looked up when he heard, "He's back!" and his friends bounded down the stairs and over to the poker table. Colin dealt the first hand while Finn addressed Logan. "We think it's great that you and Reporter Girl are back together, Logan. In all seriousness, you haven't been the same since her and we look forward to getting our old friend back."

It was Colin's turn, "Yeah, but if you screw this up again—"

Logan put his hand up to his friend and cut him off. There was no need for Colin to finish that sentence. "Thanks, Finn, it's good to be back. It's just right when I'm with her. I know it, I feel different when I'm around her. And, Colin, you don't have to worry. I'm not letting her go again. I've learned my lesson."

"Good, now, let's play cards!" Colin said. He knew his friend was serious about this. His fears were laid to rest.

"Alright now, Mate, tell us the whole story, starting with before you walked into the pub last night!"

"Seriously, Finn, you're worse than a girl when it comes to gossip!" Logan said with a laugh. He told them about accidentally bumping into Rory just before they walked into the pub, the important parts of their conversations the night before and that morning, and that he was really happy again, supremely happy.

After a few rounds Colin was up 4000, Logan was up 2500 and Finn owed each of them quite a bit of money. They decided to call it a night and try to even things out another night.


	13. Chapter 13 Not Just the Vacation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or the characters mentioned in this story that are also mentioned on the show.**

**(It's Not Just the Vacation)**

The next day Finn, Colin, and Logan rang the doorbell promptly at ten in the morning. No one answered so they walked into the house and Colin poured each of them a cup of coffee as they all took a seat in the dining room to read the paper as they waited.

Twenty minutes later Kimberly came down the stairs in light blue sundress. "Hey, Ror! Jill! They're here! Come down!" She took the last open seat at the table with the guys and began to read the paper too.

"Coming!" Rory yelled back

"Almost done!" Jill answered

Kimberly glanced up at Colin who was sitting directly across from her. He looked so proper, but she knew from spending even just a little time with him that he could have fun too. She noticed his green polo and thought to herself that green suited him well.

He had looked up when she entered the room and had yelled to her friends, but he didn't really look at _her_ then. He took the opportunity to really see her now that she was positioned directly across from him at the table. He nonchalantly shifted the paper he held in his hand to lower the paper, but to keep his head at the same angle so he could peer over it to look at Kimberly. Her eyes were cast down at her section of the paper, but she looked peaceful. Her long blond wavy hair framed her face perfectly and she didn't wear too much make up so he could see the natural beauty of her face. He could tell she'd gotten some sun in the days before and the medium blue color of her dress contrasted nicely with her olive complexion. In short, Colin thought Kimberly was beautiful.

Rory came down next in a khaki knee length skirt and a black tank top. As soon as Logan could see her coming down the stairs he went into the kitchen to pour her what was surely not her first or maybe even second cup of coffee. She followed Logan into the kitchen and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the mouth and handing her the coffee he then quietly greeted her, "Good morning, girlfriend. You look beautiful."

"Thank you, boyfriend, you look really handsome!" she said returning his compliment, but meaning every word.

In the dining room Finn was getting restless. He shifted his position in his chair every few seconds and seemed to be unable to find anything interesting in the paper to read.

Colin kept looking at his friend wondering why he couldn't just relax. Each time he looked at Finn he made sure to take a small glance up at Kimberly before returning to the article he was pretending to read.

Kimberly was only slightly more subtle and only looked up at Colin after every _other_ time he dipped his head back to his paper. As she was slowly lifting her head about to take her usual look at Colin, Colin was shifting his look of annoyance from Finn to a casual glance at Kimberly. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she flustered and stood to wait impatiently for Jill to come downstairs.

A minute after Kimberly stood to break the tension between herself and Colin, Jill appeared wearing a white peter pan collared shirt with short puffy sleeves and a short distressed denim skirt.

Finn was the first to speak up. "Good morning, ladies, you all look smashing, as usual." He said as he took Jill's hand and twirled her to get the full effect of her outfit.

"Looks like we're all here now. Ready to go?" Logan asked

Rory nodded as she took his offered hand. Jill looped her arm through Finn's arm, which he had offered to her, and Colin and Kimberly paired up the same way.

As the pair approached the front door the other four had already walked through, Colin said quietly to Kimberly, "you really do look great this morning, Kim."

"Thanks, Colin. You look nice too." Kimberly beamed.

They all got into the escalade and Logan drove (because Finn couldn't concentrate with it being so bright with the sun high in the sky and all). Rory rode shotgun, while Finn and Colin, being the gentleman, got in the back so Jill and Kimberly, in skirts, could sit in the middle section. Logan drove them to a resort in the next town over for brunch. The sextuplet ate to their hearts content. The three men settled the bill once again and they drove back to the girls' house.

"Well, my lovelies, would you mind terribly if we poor souls tagged along with you again today?" Finn asked the girls.

Jill took this one, "We would love to hang out with you guys today! We already decided that we are going out for a girls' day tomorrow, but today we're all yours!"

"Well, why don't we all get changed and meet you on the beach in a half hour?" Colin suggested

They all agreed and the girls went into their house and the guys to theirs.

Today Rory donned a pink string bikini that had a small ruffle on all the edges. It was flirty and girly, but sexy at the same time. She threw her hair up into a ponytail and covered up her suit for the walk with a pair of daisy dukes, and a pink tank top that matched her suit. Jill wore a bright orange bikini with a short black wrap tied around her hips to make a sort of mini skirt with a matching orange tank top. And Kimberly covered up a bit since they were going to be on the beach instead of in the backyard and wore a bright blue tankini and a sundress over top. Once the girls were ready they each got beach towels and headed out to meet the guys.

On the beach they couldn't find the men, but didn't think they beat them to the beach so they looked around for a while. Rory spoke up first, "Wait! Did you hear that? That was a Finn squeal. They're around somewhere!"

Just then they heard "Hey Ace!"

Rory turned toward the direction she heard the familiar voice from. She found Logan…and Colin and Finn. They were in the water playing catch. "We're over there!" Logan yelled to the clueless girls pointing to an area where three beach towels were already laid out, with space between each one for another towel, and their shirts, sandals, keys, phones, and wallets. Rory waved back to him signaling that she found their stuff and the three girls walked over and set up their towels too.

Rory, Jill, and Kim took off their cover up clothes and began to put sun screen on themselves to protect their beautiful skin.

"Hey Ror, can you get my back?" Kimberly asked

"Sure, then do mine ok?"

"Yeah."

LLG + LEH

Meanwhile the guys chose that time to, once again, line up and watch their girls on the beach.

"Oh, man! This day could not get better! Look at those scantily clad beauties putting lotion all over each other!" Colin exclaimed.

"I think I'll go up and see if they need any help, Mates." Finn said with a wink and a cheeky smile as he started to walk out of the water.

Colin turned to Logan and said, "Hey Huntz, what do you think of Kimberly?"

"Kimberly, huh?" Logan said with a smirk "She seems nice- actually she seems a lot like you. Don't do anything stupid, though, Colin."

"You really think she's kind of like me?"

"Yeah. She seems like the one of them who keeps everyone in line, but still knows when to let go. That's like the role you play for Finn and Me. Don't do anything though if it's going to be a one night thing. She's too good for that. She's a quality girl…and it would put Rory in a bad situation."

"It was just a thought. I won't do anything stupid."

"Good. Wanna join them up there?"

"Yeah."

When Logan and Colin walked up to the other four in their group they saw Finn lying on Logan's towel in the middle of Rory and Jill stretched out with his hands behind his head and a big grin on his face. Kimberly was laying next to Rory which only left open spots on the ends, one next to Kimberly and one on the other side of Jill. Logan rolled his eyes and took the towel next to Jill so Colin could hang out with Kimberly.

Logan started talking to Jill, "So tell me what Ace is really like at the office. My guess is that she hasn't relaxed too much from when she was _my_ editor at Yale."

"I don't know what she was like at Yale, but she's a total workaholic now, but she's a really good at what she does, she's passionate about it."

"I figured she would be just as dedicated as always. Hey, what part do you do at the paper?"

Logan's conversation with Jill continued on and they eventually moved from work to books and music. It was enjoyable for both of them. Logan got to know one of Rory's best friends and Jill got to understand a bit more about Logan than she'd heard from Rory and subsequently she could learn more about her friend from snippets Logan shared about himself and some of his and Rory's past.

Colin and Kimberly also engaged in conversation. It was mostly about his work and a little about the paper that the three girls worked at. Their conversation flowed easily no matter what subject they talked about.

Rory was quite content to read the book that she had brought while Finn babbled away at her.

This went on for some time. The six got along well, which was good, considering they would probably all see each other on occasion after returning to New York anyway.

Their attention was taken from their different conversations, and they turned toward Rory and Finn when she exclaimed, "No, Finn! That's _NOT_ legal in South Carolina, I don't care what you say!"

"Oh, come on, Love, In Omnia Paratus! Remember?"

Rory, still oblivious to the others' notice of her conversation with Finn, let out an annoyed grunt and answered again, "_NO_ Finn, not gonna happen. We will _not_ tan with our tops off!"

The other four erupted with laughter. And to himself with a pout Finn said, "Well, _I_ thought it was a good idea!"

It was nearing three in the afternoon and they were all having a good time when Rory spoke up, "Is anyone else interested in getting something to eat?"

Logan laughed because it would, of course, be Rory to bring up the fact that it was time to eat again, but everyone was in agreement with her.

Jill said, "There's a place that makes really good tacos really close to here. Are tacos ok with everyone?"

Again they all agreed. Ok, I'll go get a bunch of them. Someone's going to have to come with me though, to help carry drinks. Finn volunteered to help and the two were off.

Rory turned back to her book and a few minutes later Logan was standing above her with his hands outstretched toward her. "Wanna take a walk down the beach with me?"

She looked up, put her book down and murmured to Kimberly, though barely audible, "We'll be back" as she placed her hands in Logan's and he pulled her up to stand. They walked in the surf hand in hand all the way down the beach as Colin and Kimberly watched their friends go.

"Ya know, it's really easy to tell that he's good for her" Kimberly commented to Colin as the two looked at Logan and Rory walk together talking and laughing.

"Yeah, I know. She made him _want_ to change in college. Believe me when I say he was a completely different person before Rory walked into his life and turned it upside down; and when they were broken up he wasn't the same either. He's really happy with her.

LLG + LEH

"Hey Ace, wanna jump waves?"

"Jump waves? I don't even know what that means."

"Come on, I'll show you." He pulled her further into the water past the breaking point on the beach to where the waves formed.

"Logan, I don't know about this. It seems scary. The waves seem big from here."

"Don't worry, Ace. I'm right here, and I've done this many times before. I'll help you."

As one wave rolled toward them he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her against him so her back was flat against his chest, and jumped at just the right time so they seemed to glide over the top of the water as it raised them from the sandbar they were standing on until their feet found the sand again.

"WOW! That was so cool!" Rory exclaimed with excitement apparent on her face as she turned to face Logan.

He smiled at her. He loved that such simple things fascinated her, and he loved that he got to be the one to show them to her. "I'm glad you liked it, Ace." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a light kiss. As soon as their lips touched he held her tight again as he lifted her to let another wave float past them before landing and deepening their kiss.

They jumped waves for a good long while until Rory complained about turning 'pruny'. He laughed at her comment and pulled her out of the water as they continued their walk. When they reached the end of the cove they turned around and slowly made their way back to their friends stopping every few steps to kiss or flirt along the way.

When Logan and Rory finally made it back to Colin and Kimberly were deep in discussion over something having to do with the stock market. "That is not vacation talk, Colin! Give it up! You'll be able to talk business on Monday. We're on vacation now! Talk to the beautiful girl about something more fun!" Logan jokingly admonished his friend.

"She started it!" Colin defended himself pointing to Kimberly.

Rory cut in, hoping to distract Logan and Colin from this little exchange. "Hey guys, how long were we gone? And where are Finn and Jill? Shouldn't they be back by now?"

Colin picked up his iphone to check the time. "Yeah, it's been more than an hour. Didn't Jill say the taco place was close by?"

"Oh NO!" Rory said with a hint of dread in her voice.

Logan and Colin looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

Rory went on, unaware of the exchange between the men, "Oh! Why did they have to go and sleep together when I'm here starving!? Come on, Logan, I need food. We'll bring some back for you guys too." She reassured Colin and Kimberly as she started walking away from the ocean. Logan gave an amused look to Kimberly at Rory's command, but he picked up his wallet and followed his girlfriend toward the taco stand they could see from their towels.

"He's so whipped!" Colin laughed aloud

"It's sweet that he's willing to cater to her." Kimberly challenged

"No, yeah, it is, I know. He really would do_ anything_ for her. It's just that he's the first one of us or any of our guy friends to settle on one girl and do whatever makes her happy. Finn and I don't really have any experience with that or any of the feelings that goes along with that, so as happy as we are, and believe me, we are, for Logan and Rory; we don't understand it at all."

"Well, I think that's sad, but if you haven't met the woman who will make you want to try to understand what Logan and Rory seem to have, then I guess it makes sense." She paused for a moment, hoping he didn't take offense at her comment. "Hey, I'm getting kinda warm sitting here in the sun. I'm going to take a dip to cool off while they're gone." She paused again. "Wanna come with?"

At her invite Colin scrambled to his feet and held out a hand to Kim. She took it and he helped her stand, but he didn't let it go when they started walking to the water. They only let go when a wave pushed Kim and she lost her balance and she tried to keep herself upright by flailing her arms in the air, but she obviously was going to lose the war against the water, that is, until Colin took hold of her waist so she could plant her feet again. They continued, silently, walking deeper into the water past the breaking point so she wouldn't get knocked over again, but he kept his hand securely on the small of her back.

"Thanks, Colin." Kimberly said simply.

He looked over at her and smiled. "Anytime, Kimberly."

After a few moments she said, "Ok, I'm ready to go back now- all cooled off!"

They swam their way to the shore and casually walked back to their towels as they saw Finn and Jill walking toward them from the direction of Jill's house sans tacos and Logan and Rory walking back with enough tacos and cokes to go around at least once.

The three couples met at the towels and looked at each other. Colin and Kimberly were smiling slightly nervous coming back from the water, Logan and Rory had the food that Finn and Jill were supposed to have gotten and Finn and Jill were looking quite happy themselves, seeming to have totally forgotten they had left for a reason when all six of them started laughing hysterically!

They all sat down and ate together laughing and talking, but not about anything in particular and not about anything that Finn and Jill or Colin and Kimberly may have been up to.

A while later Rory looked up suddenly at Logan and then to Colin, "Colin! What time is it?"

He looked at his phone again. "5:30. what's wrong, Rory?"

"I have to go! I have a date!" She said as she pulled her clothes back on and gathered up her towel.

Logan laughed at her. She was so cute. "Ace, be comfortable, it will be fun! I'll pick you up at seven!" He called to her as she practically ran away from the group. She acknowledged him with a small turn and a wave back at him.

The five stayed for a while as they finished eating and chatting. A while later Logan took his leave and headed back to Colin's to get ready for his date with Rory.

LLG + LEH

Rory showered and walked over to her closet to find something to wear. She smiled thinking that this was her first date with Logan in years. She was really excited about it. It would just be nice to be out with Logan Huntzberger again, as his girlfriend. She wore her long hair down and curly with her bangs swept to the side and secured with a bobbi pin, and put on a short olive green skirt paired with a form-fitting white tank top. She grabbed a lightweight black cardigan in case she got chilly and slipped into her black reefs. She was comfortable and cute, and hopefully Logan would like her outfit.

A few minutes after seven, Logan rang the doorbell and she sprayed on a bit of perfume that she knew Logan loved and made her way down the stairs to find Logan standing in the foyer holding a bouquet of blue, green, pink, and yellow gerbera daisies.

"Hey Ace, You look amazing! Very sexy!"

She smiled and thought _mission accomplished!_ When she got close enough he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

Rory eyed his outfit- a light blue collared shirt, and he'd cuffed the long sleeves midway up his muscular arms and the top two buttons of his shirt undone, that he paired with a pair of dark blue loose fitting jeans and his perfectly tousled hair. He looked…wow!

"You're not looking so bad, yourself, Huntzberger!" Rory said smiling. He had caught her eying him the moment before and he was not at all upset that she felt comfortable to look her fill.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Ace. These are for you."

Her eyes lit up as her smile widened. "Thank you, Logan. They're beautiful. Let me go put them in water and we can go." She said turning toward the kitchen.

A few minutes later they were out the door and he was opening the passenger door to Finn's SUV so she could get in. He went around and got in the driver's seat and they were on their way. "Ya know, I think you're going to like this, Rory. Where we're going they will have tons of junk food, there are many fun things to do, you will be able to get coffee, and I doubt I'll let go of you all night."

She smiled at the last part of that sentence and slipped her hand under his that he had rested on the center console. "Just tell me where we're going already!"

He looked over at her playfully, gripped her hand tightly in his and said, "No Rory, you that's not how it works. I will tell you, though, that we'll be there soon. Have patience."

"That's not a good hint, and patience isn't in the Gilmore vocabulary."

"Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that, Rory."

Logan turned into a parking lot, parked the car and got out so he could go around and open Rory's door.

"What is this place?" Rory asked mesmerized by all of the rides and games and greasy food smells that surrounded her. "Is this a festival?"

"Close, Ace, it's a boardwalk. See, over there?" He asked pointing through the amazing sights that stood before her, "There's the ocean."

Rory took it all in. She was excited to see bright lights, all different colors, and to smell all of her favorite unhealthy foods all at the same time. "Yes! This is going to be good! Maybe we should get funnel cake first and then we can get some nachos, with extra cheese of course, and cotton candy, corn dogs, kettle corn, then—" Rory started walking off toward the boardwalk as if being pulled by some magnetic force as she listed off all of the wonderfully disgusting eats she couldn't wait to taste.

Logan caught her arm before she got too far and called her attention back to their immediate vicinity. "Alright, slow down there, Tiger. We can do all that, but we should decide what rides we want to go on first. That way you won't get sick all over your pretty little outfit, that I like _oh so much_, from eating all of your dream foods and then go on rides that upset your stomach."

Choosing to ignore the rest of his commentary, she focused on the only thing he had said that caught her attention. "Tiger? Logan, really?" she asked teasing his choice of endearments.

"I got carried away, but seriously, you were getting really excited about the food options and not so much the rides or games…and the activities are kinda the point of a boardwalk like this."

He placed his hand on the small of her back and they walked further into the middle of the boardwalk so she could see all of her options. "I like the ferris wheel and the tilt-a-whirl over there!" she said pointing beginning to get excited.

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere! Let's go get tickets for the rides."

He bought their tickets and they went on the tilt-a-whirl first. He sat on the outside, being the heavier one of the two, and placed his arm on the back of their car. He would like this ride especially because it would propel her into his side. When the ride began it started out slowly and as it got faster and faster she got pushed into him, just as he'd predicted, but something surprising happened too. She began to giggle. She giggled like a little girl, uncontrollably, throughout the entire ride! He couldn't take his eyes off of her; she looked so cute and so happy. The ride slowed and a look of slight disappointment that her fun was over came over her face…until it began going backwards. Rory got a look of supreme delight in her eyes and she giggled harder even squealing from time to time. Logan thought, '_we're definitely going to go on this one again!' _He loved to watch her enjoy something so much.

When the ride was over and they were back walking on solid ground Rory turned to him and placed her hands on his chest, "That was SO fun, Logan! I loved it! Let's do it again!"

He just stood there with is arms around her and smiling at her as he nodded. "Whatever you say, Ace."

"Oh, but first you should win me a stuffed animal. I don't mean one of those little ones either, a big huge one!" She emphasized her meaning by holding her flinging her arms out away from her body as far as they could stretch, indicating just how big she wanted her prize to be.

"Ok, you pick the game. I'll even get you cotton candy to snack on while you watch me win you an animal."

"You've got yourself a deal, Huntzberger!" she said with great zeal in her voice.

He found the cotton candy vendor as Rory chose a basketball game for Logan to play simply because they had the biggest possible prizes…gigantic penguins!

They walked over to the basketball game booth and Logan paid for his turn to play as Rory watched him intently from a couple feet away.

He made the first shot with ease. Rory let out a yell, "YAY, LOGAN!"

He smiled as a feeling of great warmth came over him simply because he knew she was cheering for him and only him.

He made the next shot too and she came up with more encouragement. "YES! Just one more, then you win! You can do it! Win me my penguin, Boyfriend!"

He chuckled to himself. He would take what he could get from her. Besides, he liked hearing her call him 'boyfriend' again. He peeked at her out of the corner of his eye just before he took his last shot. She was beaming, beaming at him. He thought she never looked so beautiful. He took his last shot and it swished, never touching the hoop.

"WHOOOOOOO!! GO LOGAN! That was my boyfriend, that's right!" Rory yelled. She ran over to him and jumped into his arms. He loved that she did that all the time. "Ok, mister, I want my prize now!"

"But _I_ really won the prize, Rory. Don't you think it should be _mine_ considering_ I_ did all the work for it?" He was playing with her and she knew it, but was only too happy to play along.

"Ok, Huntzberger, what do you want for it?"

"What do you think I should get for it?"

"A kiss?"

"Just one?"

"Two?"

"Three."

"Deal."

"You get the penguin after I get my kisses- and they have to be real kisses!"

"Ok, fine, three non-fake kisses and then I get my prize."

"Don't sound so excited about the prospect of kissing your boyfriend, Ace!" He said with a smile as he put his hands on her hips

He was baiting her, but she took it. She gave him a violent shove so he fell back against the wall he was standing in front of, and before he knew what hit him, besides Rory, her mouth was fused to his as her arms slid up and wrapped around his neck. Her tongue demanded entrance into his mouth where she roughly caressed his tongue with hers. His arms wrapped lovingly, protectively, passionately around her so he could pull her closer. The demeanor of their interaction quickly became serious, even desperate. It had been a while since they had gotten to really kiss, a few hours- though it might as well have been an eternity. He sucked on her bottom lip before she reattached herself to him and gently nipped his lips. He smiled against her kiss and it was his turn. His tongue dove into her mouth and swept through, touching every part of her mouth as he tasted her. She tasted, wonderful, like Rory, he loved Rory's taste. She gently pulled back; staying wrapped in his arms and whispered "One".

He laughed lightly, still trying to catch his breath, "Yeah that was definitely one non-fake, very real, very good kiss."

"I had an excellent partner." She replied as she placed her hand in his and led him back toward the game so he could pick up the prize that would be hers.

"Ok, let's put him in the car" she said pointing to her new penguin friend that Logan held, "and then we will go on the ferris wheel, ok?"

"Ok, sounds good."

They made their quick trip to the car and got in line for their next ride. This ferris wheel was huge. Rory just stared up at it. She was nervous, but excited about it. Logan just got a kick out of watching her reaction to everything. When it was their turn to board, Logan gave the man their tickets and a bill as incentive for the man to let them go around more than what the normal ticket allotted for.

They took their seats and, like it was the most natural thing, Logan put his arm around Rory and she leaned into his side to rest her head on his chest. The wheel began to spin and they moved up higher and higher. Rory lifted her head to look around at the city as they continued to climb. As she moved to see more of their surroundings their car rocked slightly which caused Rory to quickly return to her place nestled into Logan. He was really beginning to like this ride.

"You know, it really is beautiful up here" she said as her head once again rested on his chest.

"Yeah, it is." He agreed as his hand dropped to caress her shoulder and arm that he suspected were getting chilly at their high altitude. She snuggled closer to him and placed a kiss on his neck. He returned the affection with a kiss on her temple.

"It certainly is different, here, Rory."

"What do you mean?"

"No stress, no work, no worries. It's nice to be with you everyday, spend time at the beach with our friends, have no schedule."

"Oh, yeah, that. It is nice here." She said in full agreement.

"I don't think it's just the vacation though. I think I pushed myself into work so I wouldn't have to think about you, or rather how you weren't a part of my life, I wouldn't have to think about coming home to my empty apartment and my cold bed. I think that makes the contrast between here and home even greater. You're here and you weren't there. I love having you here again with me, Rory."

"I love it too… You know, Logan, I did the same thing. I worked myself way more than I needed to just to fill my time. I didn't like going home to no one, to a place where I had to remember that I was without you. It's definitely not just the vacation, Logan."

They went around twice more not saying anything, but staying cuddled up together. She really liked that they didn't always have to be talking, but they were still comfortable with each other. It was comforting to be with him.

As Logan signaled to the ride operator that they wanted to get off after that turn, Logan turned to Rory and said with a cheeky smile, "Ror, I really do _love_ your skirt". She looked down and noticed that it had slid up during the course of their ride and was now only covering the necessities. She tried to pull it down but she couldn't because she was sitting so Logan ran his hand over her crossed thighs and she decided it was ok to wear short skirts from then on.

When they got off of the ride her eyes once again went to the tilt-a-whirl and she looked to Logan and then back at the ride, back and Logan, and then back to the ride as she took his hand and pulled him toward it.

"Ok, Ace, we'll go again." She enjoyed it just as much the second time as she did the first. His favorite part, again, was watching her enjoy it so much. Once they were done 'whirling' she put her arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest as they walked. He instinctively hugged her to him and left his hand on her hip. "Tired are we?"

She nodded against him.

"Wanna head back?"

"Is that ok, Logan?"

"Of course it is. This night is about whatever you want. I just wanted to take my girlfriend out. As long as you had a good time I'm happy with whatever we do."

"I had a really good time at the boardwalk with you, Logan. We should come here again sometime."

"Whatever you say, Ace. I'm always up for a night at the boardwalk." He opened her car door for her and he helped her in. Rory sat sideways on the seat with her legs dangling out of the car, and her right side leaning against the seatback as she smiled at him. Logan got the hint and she took his cheeks in her hands and brought his mouth to meet hers. He wrapped one arm around her, he was just as intent on bringing her to him as she was to bring him to her, and he rested his other hand on her bare thigh. It was a sweet kiss. She didn't try to turn it into a crazy, deep, 'I need you now' kiss. It was simple, soft, gentle. She held his lips to hers, his very soft, perfect lips to hers. When they had to breathe they each took a small breath and she brought her lips back to his once, twice, three times.

"Thank you, Logan" she whispered with his mouth millimeters from hers.

He kissed her, "Anytime Ace. You know I'd do anything for you." He whispered into her mouth before lightly kissing her again. He reluctantly pulled away and she turned to face the front so he could close her door. He got in the car and they made the short drive back to Rory's house holding hands, smiling, and remembering their perfect boardwalk date.

Logan pulled up to the girls' house. He didn't realize how late it had gotten when they were at the boardwalk. He let out a small yawn as he went around to open Rory's door. He helped her out of the car and walked her up to her door. "Logan, tonight really was perfect. I _really _like being your girlfriend."

"I'm glad you had such a good time and I like you being my girlfriend too." He said with a small smile. Still holding her hand he glanced down at it and then back up at her, "So you girls are going on a 'girls only outing' tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we're going to Charleston to shop and see that city. We will just be gone for the day, so we can get together tomorrow in the evening if you want."

"Yeah, let's do that. Call me with more information tomorrow and I'll come up with a few ideas and you can choose what we do from those."

"That sounds good." she smiled.

They shared a moment where their eyes locked and they were perfectly in sync, on the same wavelength, reading each other's mind.

"You're perfect" he whispered seriously as he placed his free hand on her cheek and leaned down to kiss her lips. She pulled his hand that she held behind her back so he would have to move closer to her as she took hold of his shirt to hold on to him. She didn't know why, but his last comment got to her and she wanted to show him how 'perfect' she thought he was too. The truth of the matter was that they were perfect together. Something built up in her and she needed more. She let go of his hand and his shirt so she could wrap her arms fully around his neck so they could be as close as was physically possible. He laid his hands low on her back and kissed her passionately in return. After a few long, but wonderful, moments they released each other's lips and just looked at each other.

"Logan?" she said quietly

"Yeah, Ace." He said barely audibly as he gazed into her deep blue eyes.

Those eyes began to smile back at him, "Um, can I have my penguin now?"

He grinned back. "Yeah, you've earned it. Hey, were did you learn to kiss like that anyway?" He asked as they walked back to the car for her prize.

Never missing a beat, she answered his question. "I had this boyfriend at Yale. He taught me how to do it right."

He laughed, "Is that right?" he asked as they once again stood at the door.

"Oh yeah, they teach everything at that school!" she said playfully.

He smiled a big smile at her. "Go inside and go to sleep. Have a good day tomorrow, have fun and don't forget to call me. I'm going to miss you tomorrow, Rory, so hurry back to me."

"I'm going to miss you too. I'll call you to check in. Go home! Dream of me."

"I always do. Good night, Beautiful." He kissed her hand.

He released her and she looked at him once more, "'Night, Logan." She stepped inside with her penguin.


End file.
